Looking Back

25 Years Ago - January 19, 1999

Clay Clifford was sworn in as the sixth member of the Falmouth City Council by Mayor Jim Hammond at the new council's first official meeting on Jan. 12. Clifford was elected as a council member in the November elections, but chose at that time to decline the position. Clifford later chose to accept and will now be serving as a council member.

The City Clerk's office is moving into their new location in the Kennett Tavern Building (at the corner of Shelby and Main across from the current location into the restored building.

50 Years Ago - January 18, 1974

In one of the most historic moments of Pendleton Circuit Court, the Pendleton County Grand Jury Monday returned one indictment against two men charging them with three murders, two counts of malicious shooting and wounding, five counts of armed robbery, and one count of grand larceny. The Grand Jury, meeting in a rather short time, indicted William H. Sloan and Wilmer E. Scott for the three murders of Alva Harper, Monroe Sizemore, and David Sizemore on Oct. 2, 1973.

75 Years Ago - January 21, 1949

Twenty-two beer cases, 12 filled and 10 empty, were found in a rented building at the corner of Second and Park Streets, Falmouth, Sunday afternoon. The surprise raid was conducted by Sheriff Alvin Thompson and the City Police Duane Sorrell and Eddie Thomas. Cited to court were Conners and Virgil Chisholm, who, according to officials, were drinking a bottle of beer at the time of the raid in another building across an alley.

Washington is alive this week with festivities of the inauguration of President Harry Truman as the next President of the United States... The inaugural train left Covington Tuesday night. On it from Falmouth were County Tax Commissioner C. A. Taliaferro and County Attorney W. Marvin Davis.

100 Years Ago - January 18, 1924

The colored M. E. Church, located on Montjoy Street  in this city, was destroyed by fire last Wednesday night, Jan. 9th, about 830 o'clock. The blaze was caused from an overheated furnace in the basement which had been fired by boys. The congregation was holding its regular mid-week prayer meeting at the time, and the members first discovered the fire when the blaze came through the floor on each side of the room. Nothing but the church piano was saved. The fire department quickly responded and extinguished the fire, but the church was so badly damaged it can not be repaired. This church was built some 75 years ago by the colored citizens of Falmouth and the assistance of white people....The congregation will rebuild the church, but will have to secure outside help, as the membership is very small. Rev. J. T. Leggett is the present pastor.

Hold Gay, residing at Demossville, while sitting by his fireside last Friday night, peacefully dreaming of his experiences during the World War, was attracted by the noise made by his chickens. He quickly got down his trusty Winchester and sprant into his yard just in time to get two shots at his regular chicken customers as they disappeared down the road in the darkness.

Last Saturday night, the safe in the office of J. L. Rogers, lumber and coal dealer on the railroad, was broken into and robbed. The thieves secured about $20.00 and the safe was damaged. Mr. Rogers had banked his day's receipts sand did not sustain a heavy loss. The same night, an unsuccessful attempt was made to rob the safe in the Pendleton flour mills in Shoemakertown. The safe was badly damaged with a hammer, but it was not opened. The officers have the two men spotted that did the jobs, and arrests will follow.

The Licking Valley mill and entire contents at Boyd, this county, were completely destroyed by a fire of unknown origin discovered at about 2:00 o'clock Sunday morning....The loss is estimated at about $16,000 which included about 14,000 pounds of flour, 2,000 bushels of wheat, and two car loads of coal.

Relatives of Grace Thompson Sayers, daughter of J. E. Thompson, who disappeared on a foggy morning Dec. 21, 1923, today maintained their watch for her. She could not have had any apparent intention of leaving home where she had lived the 28 years of her life, as her shirt waist was soiled, J. A. Thompson, her uncle, believes.