Back when: March 7-13

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March 7

In 1921, “Riley Movie Days” were observed March 7-8 and featured the premier of the silent film “The Old Swimmin’ Hole,” starring Charles Ray.

March 8

In 1916, votes from the March 7 primary continued to be counted. A story in the Daily Reporter noted, “The canvassing board may not complete their work before midnight tonight and it may be Thursday morning, they say. The official results will not be known until they have counted and placed the second choice votes.” The story also noted the presence of a few Progressive party voters, about five per precinct.

March 9

In 1962, Greenfield Postmaster Wayne Crider announced a new shipment of stamps honoring Lt. Col. John H. Glenn’s space flight had arrived at the post office. The first shipment of the commemorative stamps had sold out quickly.

March 10

In 1940, NBC brought its radio microphones to the Riley Home in Greenfield for its “A Pilgrimage of Poetry” series. The series visiting the home of famous poets had made previous stops at the homes of Edgar Allen Poe, Walt Whitman, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and others. The Greenfield stop was No. 22 in the 32-part series. More than 500 English department heads at colleges and universities voted on which poets should be featured.

In 1967, the Church of the Bible Covenant was organized at the John T. Hatfield Campground on U.S. 40 near Cleveland. The denomination dissolved in the late 1980s.

March 11

In 1889, the Wilkinson Church of Christ was permanently organized.

March 12

In 1925, Confederate Army veteran Joseph L. Hooker died. According to the City of Greenfield website, he is the only Confederate veteran buried at Greenfield’s Park Cemetery.

March 13

In 1992, Gov. Evan Bayh signed Public Law 44, a bill authored by Indiana Rep. Sarah Wolf, D-Greenfield. It returned boat excise tax revenues to counties once a month instead of twice a year, as had previously been done. “What this is basically doing is getting the county’s money to it sooner,” Wolf said.

“It will give the county a chance to draw interest on the money.”