64. Randolph County Trivia. 12/19

1948.

  The first ranch style home built in Winchester.  Mr. and Mrs. Roger Green and 5-year-old Betsy are all moved in and practically settled in their new home at 540 West South street. Minor details are still to be taken care of, but for the most part the house is completely finished.
  The ranch style house is the only one of its kind in Winchester and has caused considerable comment and attracted a number of visitors, including several from out of town.
  The house has five rooms, including the living room, two bed rooms, kitchen and bath. Roger's store, "Green's Sporting Goods," is in a room adjoining the house on the west. The store is entered from a private entrance on West South street.
  A long walk leads to the house entrance from a sandstone and red cement terrace on the east side. The living room has a large picture window which looks out upon the terrace. All floors are southern red oak which have been sanded and bruce finished. The woodwork is oak with a darker finish.
  The kitchen has the convenient built in features with the cabinet tops laid with Formica in the mother of pearl finish. Walls are in rough plaster, one bedroom being done in pale rose and the other rooms being in natural color.
  A partial basement houses the forced air furnace with a cooling system and storage cupboards. The house has an abundance of closet space and attractive built-in book shelves.
  Lighting fixtures are all the ranch type of colonial brass. Predominating colors in the furnishings are chartruese and grey.
  The house is a true ranch style and was built as originally designed except for a few very minor changes.

1874.

Fairview, Green Twp. from A Friend Of Good Order. As it has been some time since you heard from this place, I wish to inform the ladies of Winchester through the pages of the Journal that they do not know how to crusade against drunkenness effectually, so they had better come to this village and learn. One week ago today, one Jesse Bebo, a jail bird, brought some beer and "shot gun" whiskey to sell, and some of his associates got drunk that night and stoned a widow woman's house. The next day one George Vickroy, of this village, got drunk and Mrs. Vickroy heard of it so she went out and found her drunken husband. With a club in hand she led him off to the "doggery", went in and commenced to break bottles, glasses and turned over the beer kegs and split the barrels. While so doing the said Jesse Bebo run up to prevent her but she lamned him hard across the head with her club so that he beat a retreat and then returned to the attack again, but she stood her ground, fought,  and bit and kicked until she cleared the place out and then walked her drunken husband home.
  Jesse Bebo left the next morning for parts unknown and I think this is the right way to crusade, quicker than prayer and more effectual in this case.

1947.

New business.   "Sullivans Drive-In", located at the west end of Washington street in Winchester will be opened for business Saturday at 5 p.m., it was announced today by Edythe and Horace L. (Pop) Sullivan, who also will continue to operate the B & B café at 128 North Main street.
  The Sullivans, who have owned and operated the B & B for eleven years are members of the National Restaurant association and will continue their fine reputation in their new establishment, serving delicious quality food featuring Sullivan's special french fried chicken at all hours, pork tenderloin lunch, sandwiches, malts, ice creams and soft drinks.
  The drive-in is being advertised as located on "West Washington street, route 32, watch for the sign." A big neon sign in front will show the way.
  It will be one of the newest and most modern drive-ins in this section of Indiana, with plenty of parking space, full dining room and car service.

1953.

Huntsville Community Building.   Dr. Edwin R. Garrison, administrative assistant to Bishop Richard C. Raines of the Indiana area, will dedicate the community building at Huntsville on March 15, 1953 at a 2:30 p.m. service.
  The building, formerly the school and then a blacksmith shop, has been extensively renovated by members of Huntsville Methodist church and the community in preparation for its use as a social center. Even before the dedication, a fish fry, guest night for the W.S.C.S. of the church, and a young peoples gathering will take place.
  Several years ago men of the community started a farm project on land owned by Walter Harper. A farm board, headed by Kenneth Pursley, planned the raising of crops, and this past year the moneys received from the sale of beans, wheat and corn were turned over to a building committee. The ground and old building already had been purchased.
  Since the fall of 1952, the former blacksmith shop has been completely remodeled. An addition to house the kitchen, furnace and cloak rooms and rest rooms was added.
  There is now a main room for community gatherings, and a smaller room at the back where children may play or small groups may meet.
  Ralph Moore, chairman of the building committee, was assisted by Cecil Cox, Max Gordon, Howard Townsend and George Robert Hinshaw in the planning. Clarence Sheppard has supervised the wiring and many men of the church and community have helped with the work.
  A women's group now is finishing the pine paneling in the building, and the following committee will plan for furnishings: Mrs. Otho Gordon, Mrs. James Dean Lane, Mrs. Gerald Sharp, Mrs. Robert Addington, Mrs. Ralph Moore and Mrs. Kenneth Pursley.
  On Friday, March 6, members of the Modoc-Huntsville youth Fellowship will assist in the building also.
  In addition to meetings of the women's groups, youth fellowship, and classes of the church, community groups will use the building for their meetings and special events.

1973.

  The Randolph county liquor board approved the transfer of the wine and beer permit for the City Cigar Store, Winchester, from Raymond Hobson, former proprietor, to three brothers, Charles D. Hyre, Richard Hyre and David Hyre, the latter of Rochester, Mich.
  Charles and David Hyre will operate the City Cigar Store, where they have been working to familiarize themselves with the business for the past several months.
  On hand for the liquor board meeting were Chairman Bill Bertram, members Verlie Love and Ralph Chalfant, and State Police Excise Officer Duane Loos. (The position of State Alcoholic Beverage Board hearing officers have been eliminated by new law and the state police excise officers have taken over their functions.)
  Raymond (Slick) Hobson, previous owner of the business, said that he purchased the tavern in 1948 from Walter Myers and has owned it for the past 23 years.
  Hobson sold the business to Roger Capron in 1954 but bought it back in 1956.
  The operation, which includes cards, pool, reportedly excellent food and the bar, is the last "stronghold of masculinity" in Winchester. Hobson noted that about every three months a woman comes into the tavern and is duly served, as required by recent "equal rights" legislation but women patrons are not encouraged. Charles Hyre added that the new corporation will follow the same general plan.
  An interesting aspect of the interior of the Cigar Store is the west end of the bar, which is many years old. Hobson recalls that it was salvaged from the effects of the late Bud Irvin, who was a saloon-keeper at both Winchester and Union City at the turn of the century.
  Undoubtedly the men who leaned on that part of the bar seventy or eighty years ago would be totally astonished to see a woman in the traditional men-only saloon.
(Employees that I remember when Slick owned the bar during the 60's were Jess Lykins, John Riley, Pete Retz,  Jim Wysong and Bill Stonerock.)



1947.

  "Number please?" a pleasant voice asks when you pick up the receiver of your telephone at any time during the day or night.
  Few people look upon the telephone company as a merchant, yet it probably has more patrons daily than any other business organization. Without telephone service a community soon would be on the verge of collapse.
  Winchester was offered its first company-owned telephone service in 1897 when a group of men bought out an exchange operated by the Fockler brothers. Stock in the organization, known as the Winchester Telephone Company, was $25 a share and it was necessary for a person to be a stockholder before he could be a subscriber. At that time there were about 25 telephones in service.
  Around 1900 the company moved to its present location at 114 East Franklin street and in 1905 merged with the Eastern Telephone Company. The building served not only as a telephone exchange but also as a residence for the manager and operator.
  First manager of the company was Albert Diggs. The late Alonzo L. Nichols, father of Merrill W. Nichols, Winchester attorney, was the first president of the board.
  The company has grown by leaps and bounds and now with Winchester as the main office, operates exchanges in Saratoga, Ridgeville, Redkey, Dunkirk, Parker, Farmland, Lynn, Fountain City, Centerville, Cambridge City, Hagerstown, Greensfork, Modoc, Williamsburg, Losantville and Economy. Seven of these exchanges are automatic dial systems. Plans are now underway to convert Winchester to the dial system sometime after January of next year, and in the not too distant future convert all remaining manual exchanges into dial. Sunday
  In the entire system 150 persons are employed, including 30 operators in the local exchange. Approximately 10,000 calls are handled through the Winchester board each day, in addition to from 600 to 800 long distance calls.
  In 1944 the company built new offices directly adjoining the present building. The office is air conditioned and one of the most modern in Winchester today.
  Vern Robinson, present plant superintendent, has been with the telephone company 35 years, joining the organization in 1913 after service with the Advance and Farmers Telephone Company.
  Mary Anna Butts is office manager and Grace Berrard is assistant chief operator. Nellie Zumbrum Dienst, who died Sunday, was with the company for 27 tears and was chief operator when illness forced her retirement.