Heavy rains blamed for building collapse in Knightsville during this week in 1947
During this week in 1947, no one complained about their yards being burned up from lack of rain. In fact, Clay County had an abundance of rain. Five-point-2 inches of rain had fallen since the first of the month and more rain was expected.
The excessive rain was blamed for the collapse of Pearley Miller’s Garage located in the old Davis & Co. General Store Building at Knightsville.
Observers said it went down with a crash that brought people to Knightsville’s downtown to see what happened.
Only a light wind was blowing that day “but it is believed the old building had been weakened by the incessant rains and the strong winds in the past several weeks,” The Brazil Times reported.
The recent rains apparently did not hurt fishing.
The first 4-pound bass of the season was caught by Leo Girton of Knightsville.
While fishing in Lena Lake, Girton “hooked a bass which gave him a fight that brings a thrill to every fisherman,” The Times report said.
Other changes were coming to Clay County that were not weather-related.
The popular Davis Coffee Shop, located in the Davis Hotel Building in downtown Brazil closed its doors Sunday and did not open for business on Monday.
The restaurant was owned by Mrs. S.D. Woolery and leased to Quentin Earley.
Brazil boasted a new service station.
On its grand opening day, “hundreds of motorists” stopped at Clark’s Shell Service Station located where West National Avenue met the B&O Railroad tracks. Each received a set of six glass casserole dishes with the purchase of six gallons of gasoline.
The new building was made of brick with tan tile and red concrete floors “which represents the very last word on arrangement and equipment,” The Times stated.
There was no word whether the attendants wore uniforms with bow ties and caps, like other Shell stations of that day.
Brazil High School had a new director of instrumental music.
Robert Carr of Lafayette succeeded Rudolph Jeffers, who resigned during the previous school year.
The RBC Bus Co. that ran between Clay City, Brazil and Rockville was threatened with being closed down. Ralph Somheil filed suit against his partner, Fred Swindle, seeking to dissolve the partnership.
Somheil said the bus line was losing money and he wanted the court to make Swindle produce the financial records, according to The Times’ story.
The Chamber of Commerce was being re-organized.
New by-laws had been written and were read at a meeting by Linn Kidd, chairman of the new by-laws committee.
Apparently the re-organization was a friendly affair because 60 members were present for a dinner that followed the business meeting.
Clay County had two young men entered in the Chevrolet-sponsored Soap Box Derby at Terre Haute. They were Jack Houk of Brazil and Gail Mathis of Staunton.
According to the article, the race was set for July 27 and anyone who wanted to register could do so at the Downtown Chevrolet dealership in Terre Haute.
The national race was held each year at Akron, Ohio.
In 1947, the Brazil churches went together and had a union Vacation Bible School. In 1947, the closing exercises were to take place at the Forest Park bandshell in place of the union church worship services that were held at the park that summer.
Next week, we look at the week of June 25-July 1, 1948.
Remember, the Brazil Public Library has much information about the history of Brazil and Clay County.
- -- Posted by CaptBrent on Thu, Jun 22, 2017, at 9:25 AM
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