Sunday, September 27, 2026

1929 -- stuck em up often

Democrat, 1929

Fairfield Men Held Up Last Saturday Night

Gus Glidewell, Armond Kelly and Virgil Bowen were held up and robbed while enroute to Brookville from Fairfield about 9:30 last Saturday night. The three Fairfield men had heard of the fire which was raging at the K of C hall, in this city, and were on their way to the fire when they met a car near the farm of William Logan, which refused to give them any of the highway, forcing them into the side ditch.

Immediately, three men alighted from the car and at the point of drawn revolvers, ordered Mr. Glidewell and his companions to "get out and hold up your hands."

They took what cash the Fairfield men had upon their persons and after disabling the lights of the car in the ditch, the highwaymen disappeared in the direction of Fairfield.

Owing to the darkness, Mr. Glidewell, Kelly or Bowen were unable to obtain a description of the men nor get the license number of their car. At present time, no grace has been found of the highwaymen.

Filling Station Attendant is Victim of Holdup

George Reidenbach, night attendant at the Riverside filling station, was the victim of a holdup Wednesday night, by three young men who appeared to be about 18 or 20 years old.

The three youths drove up to the station about 10 o'clock and purchased a cigar, asking the attendant for a rag with which to clear their windshield. Reaching into a desk drawer for the rag, Mr. Reidenbach straightened up to find himself covered by a gun in the hands of one of the youths. The robber forced George into a corner after opening the cash register and procured $22.50 from the drawing, overlooking about $20 in quarters and halves to another compartment of the drawer.

The three climbed into their Ford roadster, bearing an Indiana license, and departed toward Cincinnati. Mr. Reidenbach immediately notified the towns south of this city, but no trace of the robbers has been found at this time.


Saturday, September 19, 2026

Our beloved town park -- 1922

Democrat, 1922


FAIRFIELD
Chicken Supper an Enjoyable Event
Despite Storm -- Park Improvement Assured

Monday morning, July 17, dawned bright and fair and found the citizens of Fairfield Township very busy getting read for the much talked of chicken supper, and at 6:30 p.m., great stacks of fried chicken and mashed potatoes were ready and the guests were soon seated, 60 persons being served at one time.

After a little while it became evident that the rain was going to spoil their plans but being ever prepared for all emergencies, the men commandeered trucks and autos and the supper was moved to the I.O.O.F. dining hall. In a short time supper was again ready and went merrily on.

The menu consisted of fried chicken, mashed potatoes, pea patties, apples sauce, slaw, pickles, pie and coffee. Ice cream, cake and lemonade were served at the stand. On account of the rain, it was impossible to have the program that had been arranged.

Mr. DeMuth, the genial Delco agent, had the park beautifully lighted. The people of the township responded liberally, and the visitors were very generous. Two hundred persons were served.

It was an evening that will long be remembered by everyone who was present and the hearty response of the people as placed the park proposition upon a sound basis, with sufficient confidence established to proceed with some needed improvements and arranging for its permanent upkeep.

 

Monday, September 7, 2026

1919 appliance ads

Most rural people still didn't have a continual source of electricity in 1919. If you lived "in town," you were one of the lucky ones.








Monday, August 31, 2026

Facts, fiction, figures

American, July 1855

Wister's Patent Wash Tub

We might have said two weeks ago, that we were in the possession of one of these tubs from the manufactory of Messrs. English & Stran of New Albany, who own the right for Southern Indiana, and who are prepared to supply orders, wholesale or retail, but we preferred testing it thoroughly before recommending it. 

It has now been in use here, three weeks, and been tried on all sorts and sizes of clothes, from bed quilts to night caps and we are authorized to say that it fills the bill, and performs all that is claimed for it.

It is simple and durable, in its construction and but little heavier than an ordinary wash tub. It will be serviceable in the family of every man who desires to lighten the burdens of his wife or daughters, but those who think everything a humbug that does not do, or lighten outdoor work, will not buy it, or if they do they will growl about it.

They can buy patent threshers or rakers or cultivators but a patent wash tub is too small a matter for them.

Let all our readers who are in the reach of Messrs. English and Stran, send for one immediately.

We learn that Mr. Doddridge, the proprietor of Wayne, Fayette, Union and Franklin, has made arrangements for  a manufactory here, and that they will be for sale in Brookville next week.

We need not urge the men who love their wives, to buy one -- they will do it without urging.

It will come with poor grace from some of them to say they can't spare $8, these hard times, when they chew and smoke more than twice that amount in a year.

Grand Island, Neb., 1901

HOUSE BURNED

And no trace found of the occupants.

Brookville -- The farm residence and all buildings belonging to Joseph Horn were burned to the ground tonight and the family cannot be found. The family consisted of Horn, his wife and four children. The fire is still too hot to determine of the bodies of the members of the family are buried under the debris of the residence, but it is believed all perished in the flames.

Moral: Insure in the Gordon Agency.*

*This was actually part of the story. The story is also a lie.


Sunday, August 9, 2026

Fairfield, 1871

Brookville American, 1871

Fairfield Matters

A recent visit to the thriving little town of Fairfield impresses us with the fact that "improvement is the order of the day" there as well as elsewhere.

Mrs. Eliza Osborn is building a handsome frame residence in the eastern part of town; Dr. Ferguson has laid the foundation for a new dwelling to be shorted erected after the modern fashion, and Dr. Donough has refitted his office building in a handsome manner.

The Fairfield folks are fully up with the times in business matters generally, with the exception that some of them are not in favor of the new railroad running through their township, notwithstanding they will have a convenient depot on that road only a half hour's walk from their town. 

It is hoped, however, that they may yet see that such improvements are a benefit to any community, especially when it is known that they will be so conveniently located near a Grand Trunk Line of railroad such as the proposed new road will be.

They never built the railroad. Blame it on the town!

Rose & Loper

These gentlemen, manufacturers of buggies, carriages, etc., are steadily at work turning out a large number of the finest buggies and carriages of every style and variety.

They have a full set of hands constantly at work and continue to defy competition. Repairing of all kinds done promptly to order.

We take pleasure in thus referring to this firm, as we are confident they are among our most enterprising businessmen and fully deserve the success of which they boast.

Best buggy for your buck!

Teacher Wanted

A first-class male teacher is wanted to teach a three months' school in District No. 4, Blooming Grove Township. Address James M. Hugbell, Metamora, Ind. 

School 4 was in the southwest quarter of the township.

Friday, August 7, 2026

In case you wondered

 Cincinnati Enquirer, July 1858

The Brookville American says that a Mr. Frazee Tucker of Springfield Township in that county, was killed on Sunday last by being thrown from his wagon, which he had driven upon a bank and overturned, falling under it, while in a state of intoxication. He was about 70 years old, and wealthy.

Fell off the wagon, huh?

Cincinnati Post, March 1898

The most disastrous flood ever known here visited Brookville Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning. Both forks of the Whitewater River are out of their banks. The Whitewater Railroad and Big Four are washed away for miles. Telegraph lines and telephone wires are down through Harrison and Brookville, and houses, bridges, fences and stables are drawn toward the Ohio. Two fatalities are reported. Philip Schuh and Bert Osgood of Brookville are lost and supposed to be drowned.

There were worse floods.

Brookville American, December 1834

Hogs!! -- For the last three weeks, our eyes have been greeted with scarce anything but vast droves of the swinish multitude. Win that time, "from our own idea of things," and from the calculations of others there must have passed through this place upwards of THIRTY THOUSAND hogs, all wending their way to Cincinnati, the greatest hog market, we would venture to say, in the known world.

All these hogs are from a small section of this state. We are told by the oldest settlers, there never were as many hogs drove through this place in one year, before, as been within the last three weeks. Some days it seemed as if the vast arena of nature's store house was filled with hogs.

Porkopolis, Ohio.

Cincinnati Gazette, May 1858

The Post office and the jewelry store, attached, in Brookville were entered by burglars on Saturday,, and $2,000 worth of watches and jewelry,  all the letters in the office carried off. Some $300 worth of stamps were also taken. 

Before robbing the office, the burglars entered a hardware store and procured the necessary tools with which to effect an entrance to the former. It is suspected that some of our city thieves were engaged in the operation.

Out-of-town crooks ... can't trust 'em.