This Week In History - October 10
Author: Linda Huth, Broadwater County Museum Curator
“What Happened this Week in History”
Submitted by Linda Huth; Sponsored by: The Broadwater County Historical Society and the Cotter Foundation
October 10
1912
“Doings of a Week"
If you really want a nifty suit or overcoat, see the Kirschbaum line. Townsend Merc.
In future the "Opinion" will make a charge for all advertising, other than strictly charitable, for entertainments where an admission fee is charged. To anything of a charitable nature this paper will give free space, but all advertising where an admission fee is charged, or whatever nature the entertainment may be, will be charged the local rates. This paper has been giving free space in the past to all church affairs, concerts and everything else that came along, but when there is any job work to be done it goes elsewhere. In future take your advertising to the same source where the job printing is done.
1940
“300 Attend Party for Newly Weds"
About 300 people showered their good wishes upon Mr. and Mrs. Hadley Rice at an old fashioned charivari held at the Deep Creek pavilion Thursday evening. It was a no-host affair, friends coming in from Townsend, White Sulphur Springs and the valley to dance and make merry.
Mr. and Mrs. Rice were married in September and have started a new modern home on Walnut Street. Mrs. Rice before her marriage was Ruth Wilson.
Carl Hov and Wayne Waddell acted as master hosts and saw to it that everyone present were introduced to the bride and groom.
1968
“Radersburg News"
Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Tomcheck of Townsend visited Sunday afternoon with Mr. and Mrs. Eli Toma.
Mrs. Tim Hysell and daughter, Melony, were weekend guests of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Miller and family.
Mrs. Jonh Ragen returned home Wednesday after spending the past three weeks in Spokane, Wash. Patti and Danny spent the three weeks with their grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. John Williams.
David Castleberry has graduated from Naval Justice School at Newport, R.I. and from there will go to LeJeune, N.C.
Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Hough visited Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. Bob Cobban and family in Winston.
Mr. and Mrs. George Harris and Mr. and Mrs. Bud Harris, Susie and Rita visited O.J. Allen in Galen Wednesday.
1996
“The Honor Roll"
Ken Biggs of Townsend studied the embossed bronze plaque with sullen reflection Tuesday morning. Then he began to recite names and fates of soldiers he knew who died.
"Townsend got hit hard," Biggs said. "That was because the draft was based on the population census of 1940 when they were building the Toston Dam."
Names from World War I, World War II and the Korean Conflict shined in the morning sunlight Tuesday as Biggs and a small group: American Legion Post 42 Commander Chuck Allen; VFW member, John Schmidt; and Tom Shindoll of OId Baldy Monuments installed a new plaque at Memorial Park honoring the county's war dead from those eras.
The Legion Post and James A. Lynch Veterans of Foreign Wars chapter of Townsend raised funds for the new marker, which Shindoll provided at cost; Ron Eichinger of Continental Lime drilled the holes in the marble monument at the park and B&B building Supply donated the anchor bolts.
The new plaque was well secured and there are reasons for that.
During World War II and for some years afterward, a large white billboard in Townsend posted names of Broadwater County residents who served.
On May 30, 1946, a special ceremony was held at Memorial Park and a wreath was placed at the foot of the billboard, known as the Honor Roll. In later years, the billboard was replaced by the monument made of marble quarried near Radersburgh. A simple plaque was installed to honor veterans from Broadwater County.
But according to Biggs and others in the county, another plaque shared space on the monument and actually listed the names of Broadwater County residents who lost their lives in battle. No one is sure when that plaque was installed - or when it disappeared.
"Someone pried it off," Biggs said: "I kept thinking we'd find it in the brush somewhere. It's been gone for years."
The other, older plaque remains on the stone, although two of its four bolts appear to have been sawed off and graffiti has been etched into it. The older plaque will be polished and buffed and members of the American Legion Post 42 and VFW will have a formal dedication ceremony for the monument on Veterans Day; Nov. !!.
The new plaque cost $700, Allen said, noting that all of the money had not yet been raised. Donations are still being accepted at the Post or through the mail at Box 804, Townsend, Mt. 59644.
