Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve rung in another New Year, and on that note, let’s continue for a moment with our look back at the C.S. Bell Co., which was part of the Hillsboro landscape for multiple generations.

Ladies and gentlemen, don’t look now, but another year is about to reach its ineluctable conclusion. Yes, as the clock moves toward the midnight hour on Dec. 31, the year of our Lord 2018 will take its final bow while folks near and far ring in another New Year.

Ladies and gentlemen, when we last confabulated, the palaver made its way to the life and times of Mack Sauer, the nationally known humorist, speaker and radio personality who was a former newspaper editor and publisher.

Ladies and gentlemen, after I penned an offering last week on how the local bar association unanimously recommended vacating and tearing down the venerable Highland County Courthouse in uptown Hillsboro back in 1960, I have been asked multiple times how I stumbled across such an article that was published decades ago. Well, to be totally honest with you, I simply stumbled across that story.

The older generation might remember the old Hillsboro fire station that stood on the corner of West Walnut and South High streets that burned down a long, long time ago. My dad tells me he thinks it happened around 1948 and that Hillsboro made the news because the waterworks facility also burned down the same year.

The older generation might remember the old Hillsboro fire station that stood on the corner of West Walnut and South High streets that burned down a long, long time ago. My dad tells me he thinks it happened around 1948 and that Hillsboro made the news because the waterworks facility also burned down the same year.

Ladies and gentlemen, if they would ever decide to do a “Mount Rushmore” of Highland County journalists, Granville Barrere would have to be up on that mountain.

Ladies and gentlemen, when it comes to the Barrere boys in the newspaper business, we’ve reached the final Barrere, so to speak.

Ladies and gentlemen, in our recent discourse, we’ve examined the life and times of the Barrere boys in the newspaper business. In the 1880s, Col. George Washington Barrere (1831-1913), a Civil War veteran, bought a pair of Highland County newspapers and merged them to form the Hillsboro News-Herald.

Ladies and gentlemen, in our recent discourse, we’ve examined the life and times of the Barrere boys in the newspaper business. In the 1880s, Col. George Washington Barrere (1831-1913), a Civil War veteran, bought a pair of Highland County newspapers and merged them to form the Hillsboro News-Herald.

Ladies and gentlemen, to me at least, there’s something nostalgic, almost romantic, about a family running a business for seven decades – but that’s exactly what the Barrere family in Hillsboro did beginning more than a century ago.

Ladies and gentlemen, let’s pause belatedly for an important public service announcement. Do you know the Highland House Museum has a library? Don’t feel bad. I didn’t know there was one, either, until fairly recently – and I’m vice chairman of the Highland County Historical Society’s Board of Trustees.

Ladies and gentlemen, let’s pause belatedly for an important public service announcement. Do you know the Highland House Museum has a library? Don’t feel bad. I didn’t know there was one, either, until fairly recently – and I’m vice chairman of the Highland County Historical Society’s Board of Trustees.

George Washington Barrere was born Dec. 21, 1831 and grew up in the New Market area. By the way, New Market was the county seat of Highland County before Hillsboro, which was called Hillsborough back in the day.

I had the pleasure of meeting Sally Barrere over the weekend. I’ve known of Sally for years, and we’re relatives. As you may or may not recall, I wrote a series on the Barrere family a while back, and meant to see it all the way through, but got swept away by the Temperance Movement that swept through Hillsboro in the 1870s.