Jan. 1
In 1967, services began in a new Fortville Christian Church building. The 22,000-square-foot building was constructed for $250,000. Mary Rushton and her family had donated six acres of land from a field about one mile south of Fortville in memory of Frank M. Rushton.
In 2002, a tree fell on a car driven by Buck Creek Baptist Church pastor Stan Jones, killing him, his wife and two of the couple’s three children. Surviving daughter Emily was raised by an aunt and uncle and graduated from New Palestine High School in 2016.
Jan. 2
In 1960, Stringtown Church of the Nazarene burned down. Members met at the Memorial Building in downtown Greenfield while rebuilding their house of worship.
Jan. 3
In 1971, three escapees from the Indiana Boys School in Plainfield led police on a high-speed chase through Greenfield that ended in the Stringtown area east of the city when police rammed the rear of their car at 95 miles per hour.
Jan. 4
In 1971, Greenfield Planning Commission agreed to recommend to the city council a plan from Indiana Department of Transportation to widen State Road 9 (State Street) from two lanes to four north of McKenzie Road up to Interstate 70.
Jan. 5
In 1917, Park Cemetery’s superintendent, Gus Hafner, reported 93 burials during 1916. The month of January had the most with 13; June had the least with four.
Jan. 6
In 1942, the tire rationing board named four local garagemen as tire inspectors for Greenfield: Everett Leary, Alva Andis, Howard Holt and Paul Hawkins. With World War II going on, residents were referred to the tire inspection stations for the forms to fill out if they believed themselves eligible to buy new tires. Local police encouraged motorists to register their tires to prevent theft.
Jan. 7
In 1970, a Charlottesville automobile repair shop burned to the ground in an explosion. “We got there within minutes and watched as those gas tanks exploded and shot through the roof of the building,” Jackson Blue River Assistant Fire Chief Roscoe Wooten said. “We couldn’t even get close enough to pour one drop of water on it, that’s how fast those gas tanks were blowing up.”
Jan. 8
In 1992, developers of Valley Brook Village petitioned the town of Cumberland for annexation.
Jan. 9
In 1996, Andrew Childers, 17, of Willow Branch was stabbed to death during an argument. Joe Gossage of Fountaintown, 17 at the time of the stabbing, was sentenced in March 1997 to 30 years in prison for his part in the death. Willow Branch teen Shannon Keene pleaded guilty to aiding aggravated battery and was sentenced in March 1997 to 8½ years in prison, 4½ of them suspended, for his role.
