A historic, nostalgic and sometimes comical look back at what made the news in the Star Valley Independent, 25, 50, 75 and 100 years ago.  The Independent has not missed  a weekly edition since February of 1901.

25-years ago:

Boyd Simpson was the recipient of the Coveted Silver Beaver Award on April 25 at an awards banquet in Rexburg, Idaho, along with 12 other men and women. . . . He holds rank of Life Scout. He has also received the Shouter’s Key, and On My Honor Award. He is the father of four sons, with one son holding the rank of Life Scout, and three sons holding the rank of Eagle Scout.

The annual Brave Cadette Review will be held Tuesday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m. at the Star Valley High school gym, according to Connie Day, advisor. . . . Tickets may be purchased form any Cadette or at the door for $10 family, $2.50 adult or $1.50 student. All preschoolers are admitted free.

(Printed: a clipping from Nov. 1937) Largest Coyote ever trapped in States is the claim made by the biological survey bureau for the 63-inch coyote which Adolph Hamm, district agent, is holding. Trapped by Louis Hale of Afton, the animal weighed 74 3/4 pounds–the normal weight for coyotes is from 30 to 40 pounds, Hamm said. Hamm said the enormous size of this animal backs up an increasingly popular theory that coyotes are growing larger in mountainous districts.

50-years ago:

(Photo) Handy with a needle are Star Valley’s three medical doctors who gave immunization shots last Friday to all school children in the district in grades one, six and ten. They received booster shots for diphtheria and vaccination against smallpox. Dr. O. D. Perkes, Dr. S.H. Worthen, and Dr. O.L. Treloar.

Improved telephone service between Upper and Lower Star Valley and better connections with the Lower Valley and the outside world are expected to result from improvements now being made, according to Gene Spaulding, manager of the Afton Exchange of the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Co. Spaulding said an installer for the Western Electric Company has been in Afton for several days installing equipment which will provide two additional toll trunks from Afton to the Silver Star Telephone Company at Freedom. . . . Another convenience for inter-valley telephone communications will be a publication of the 1959 directory . . . which this year will include the listings of the Silver Star Telephone Co., in addition to the Afton Exchange . . . Heretofore, the Silver Star company has had to publish it s own separate directory for its customers.

(Photo) Yearbook Royalty crowned at the SVHS Yearbook Dance last Friday night included queen Judy Hyde and king Farrell Johns.

75-years ago:

Town Band to Purchase Uniforms: The Afton town band will play for a dance to be given at the Welch Hall, Wednesday evening, May 16. The proceeds will be used to purchase uniforms for band members. Tickets will be fifty cents.

Almanac: May 7–Submarine sinks the Lusitania, 1195 die, 1915; 8–Mt. Pelee erupts and kills 30,000 people, 1902; 9–Admiral Byrd flies across the North Pole, 1926; 10–Gold Spike joins Central and Union Pacific RR., 1869; 11–Irving Berlin, noted popular song writer, born, 1888; 12– US. Fleet bombards San Juan, Cuba, 1898; 13–Capt. John Smith settles Jamestown, Va, 1607.

Dance Postponed: On account of so many dances and parties being held in the near future, it has been decided to postpone the Home-Breakers dance, advertised last week, until next September.

100-years ago:

Garden seeds have arrived. Thomas H. Roberts.

A number of Afton boys left for sheep camps on Monday.

Town Convention: A citizens mass meeting for the purpose of nominating one mayor for the term of one year, and two councilmen for the term of two years, for the town of Afton, will convene at the Meeting House at 8 p.m. on Saturday, May 1, 1909. William H. Kennington, Jr. Mayor.

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