March 5
In 1986, a federal grand jury indicted two Hancock County men for allegedly manufacturing $50,000 in counterfeit $20 bills. In documents, U.S. Secret Service agents indicated they believed the movie “To Live and Die in L.A.” might have inspired the incident.
In 1985, voters in the Southern Hancock school district agreed to a local property rate tax increase of about 63 cents over the next three years. The vote was 1,030 in favor and 234 against. Following the vote in favor of the referendum, Superintendent Gene Pruitt said the school board wanted to replace elementary physical education classes and restore electives at Doe Creek Middle School.
March 6
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In 1945, Jack Haydock, an 18-year-old U.S. Marine Corps private from Greenfield, suffered a shrapnel would in action on Iwo Jima. He had landed there with the Fourth Marine Division on the third day of the invasion. After his wound he was transferred out to a location not disclosed in the letter the U.S. War Department sent to his parents.
In 1957, local telephone company manager George Wilson warned Greenfield telephone customers to mind their letter O’s and zeroes when dial service began three days later in Greenfield and Charlottesville exchanges.
March 7
In 1921, “Riley Days” were observed March 7-8 and featured the premier of the silent film “The Old Swimming 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 1942, a Greyhound bus driver and a passenger were killed in a collision with a milk truck on U.S. 40 three miles east of Greenfield.
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.
In 1968, Hancock Countian Frank W. Marks died during the Vietnam War.
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.
