West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 68 by Charlie Miller

____September 19, 1932 – An ordinance has been passed allowing the Mayor to contract with the West Jefferson Power and Light Company for electrical service for the lighting of the streets of West Jefferson. 

____September 29, 1932 – West Jefferson will have a new gas station by the time winter sets in. T. J. Creedon has purchased the vacant lots just east of the residence of Mrs. Carrie Miller. (this is probably the current site of the Certified Gas Station) This station will make the 10th on Main Street. A. F. Dietsch-Texaco, Mr. Harrison-Sinclair, Harold Biggert and Emmett YoungStandard, Voss Brothers-Ford Garage, William Hughes-Shell, Martin Miller-Standard, William Strosnider-Linco, Ira Hunter-Sinclair and the Cochran Pure Oil at the intersection of Main Street and Blair Road. Ralph Parsons on North Walnut Street is the only one off Main Street. 

____December 29, 1932 – The machinery of the Hi-Grade Milk Company was moved from this location to 1562 King Ave, Columbus. Under Ray Miller's management, this plant has built up a splendid business in our city, and he feels it would be better to have the plant located nearer his customers. The plant here will later be remodeled for making butter and cottage cheese. 

____January 12, 1933 – Paul Miller was elected president of the Business Men’s Club, and Ralph “Paddy” Gillivan was Vice President, with Jacob McCoy as Secretary-Treasurer. The Club numbered 52 members and met at the Wise Restaurant and enjoyed a chicken supper, then adjourned to the Mayor’s Office for the business session. 

_____June 1, 1933 – Corwin Carter, 93, was the only Civil War Veteran to attend the 1933 Memorial Day Services. 

____June 29, 1933 – Lightning struck a binder in a wheat field on the Sidner farm just south of town Saturday. Three men, Charles Gregg, James Long, and Charles McCarty, who were under the binder, had stopped the team and had taken shelter under a canvas under the binder, while James Lowe and Lewis Cox took shelter under a wheat shock. Gregg, Long, and McCarty were stunned severely while one of Mr. McCarty’s shoes was torn from his foot and thrown 100 feet. Gregg, Long, and McCarty were taken to Dr. Sheetz later on; Cox and Long were returned to the horses, and as they approached the barn, lightning struck the fence, knocking Cox to the ground. Long continued to the barn, and as he approached a silo, it started to fall, and he ducked under a flat hay wagon. When the ladders fell off of the wagon, they struck Long and knocked him unconscious. 

____May 9, 1933 – H. G. Putnam was elected Mayor, and the Council elected Herbert Allerton, Steve Martin, Frank Peters, James Palmer, Merkle Miller, and Harrison Smith. Frank Biggert as Justice of the Peace and B. A. Sargent as Clerk.