West Jefferson in Days Gone By - series 69 by Charlie Miller
____November 9, 1933 – Results of the 1933 election: Mayor H. G. Putnam – 251 votes, O. P. Van Schoik – 240, Ellis Jackson – 197, H. Bradfield – 14. Council – Herbert Allerton – Steve Martin - Frank Peters – James Palmer – Merkel Miller – Harrison Smith. Justice of the Peace – Frank Biggert. Clerk – B. A. Sargent.
____January 1, 1934 – Council appropriates $13,238.00 for the year 1934. The January meeting of the Business Men’s Club will be held at the Star Hotel.
____January 11, 1934 – “Old Big Foot’s” cunning finally failed him. The monstrous 28 lb. Raccoon, whose stealing of chickens, geese, and ducks in the vicinity of West Jefferson for the last five years has made him a mark for many hunters, is dead. He was shot on the farm of Henry Feder north of Jefferson after a three-mile chase.
____March 13, 1934 – Ora B. Horn, 56, a well-known barber, died today at Mt. Carmel Hospital. Mr. Horn came here 19 years ago and opened a shop in the Metropolitan Building. (The building sat on the southeast corner of Main and Walnut Streets, the site of the current bank.) ____April 2, 1934 – A new motorcycle has been purchased by the village for $375.
____April 5, 1934 – E. E. Gregg, Secretary of the West Jefferson Gun Club, celebrated his 10th anniversary as a trap shooter in a very auspicious manner when he won the “Crooksville Shoot.” He was presented with a 35-piece of Crooksville China dishes for his marksmanship.
____July 30, 1934 – Miss Grace Webb, member of the ‘B’ Centralized School teaching corps, was one of the graduates to receive diplomas in the Elementary Teaching course at Capital University. August 2, 1934 – James Kehoe, 89, a retired railroad man, died at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Frank Wise, on S. West Street. “Granddad Kehoe” was a native of Ireland, born in County Tipperary on May 5, 1845. He had resided in Jeff for more than 60 years.
____August 16, 1934 – The greyhound races will be resumed at the West Jefferson track on Saturday.
____October 8, 1934 – Capt. Walter Seamon, Fellows Ave., veteran army man, was promoted to Major on October 1, 1934. (Major Seamon, as he was known, lived in the big brick house on the corner of Fellows and Frey. He was born August 28, 1883, and died December 2, 1987. He is buried at the Pleasant Hill Cemetery. His first enlistment was before 1900, and it is believed that he fought either in the Spanish-American War or the Philippine Insurrection 1899- 1901. He re-enlisted a number of times. He was commissioned a 2nd Lt. In 1917 and Capt. in 1918. He fought at Asiene-Marne and St. Michiel. He was severely wounded on July 19, 1918, and was cited for gallantry. He was also awarded the Croix de Guerre from France. He was discharged on January 1, 1938. Shortly after that, he was elected Mayor of West Jefferson. He had a son, Walter Jr., who served as a Captain in WWII, and a son, Jack, who served in the Air Force as a Lt. Col.)