Ladies and gentlemen, there is about a week to go in the 1942 $9 billion victory loan drive, and Highland County has ponied up more than $600,000 of its $882,000 quota, leaving roughly $250,000 to raise to meet its goal.

Ladies and gentlemen, many of us remember the old Hillsboro High School auditorium with fondness. In December of 1942, the auditorium was a relatively new edifice and was packed on a Monday night for a meeting sponsored by the Highland County War Bond Committee. WLW news broadcaster Carroll D. Alcott was the speaker of the evening, and Miss Dorothy McVitty of WLW was the soloist.

Ladies and gentlemen, in late 1942, the United States was right at a year removed from the attack on Pearl Harbor which led to the America’s entry into World War II. In a step to help win the war, the U.S. government kicked off a $9 billion victory loan drive, and as we detailed last time, Highland County’s quota was $882,000, which is roughly $13.4 million in today’s dollars.

Ladies and gentlemen, before we visited the mysterious Fallsville Christmas Ghost, we were in 1942 and the citizens in Highland County and beyond were being asked to make financial contributions to help win the war.

Ladies and gentlemen, before we go back to 1942 and the World War II era, in the spirit of the season, let’s travel more than 150 years back in time to visit the mysterious Fallsville Christmas Ghost. I believe it was our good friend John Levo, who first shared with me this ghost story, which is set in the town of Fallsville, just north of Hillsboro off of Careytown Road.

Ladies and gentlemen, we’re still in 1942 on account of not taking gas rationing of the time into account … and the way-back machine is a bit thirsty. Don’t worry, folks, we’ll get some gas down the road, but at this point, we may have to walk or hitch a ride.

Ladies and gentlemen, over the past two offerings, we’ve beheld Thanksgivings and “Black Fridays” of yore, and now that we’ve had our first snowfall of the season, let’s look ahead (or back?) to Christmas.

Ladies and gentlemen, Wikipedia tells us that the day after Thanksgiving has been regarded as the beginning of the United States Christmas shopping season since 1952. However, the term “Black Friday” did not become widely used until more recent decades, during which time global retailers have adopted the term and date to market their own holiday sales.

Ladies and gentlemen, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and wouldn’t it be nice to see how the time of togetherness and gratitude was celebrated in Hillsboro and Highland County in the 1960s? I thought so, too.

Ladies and gentlemen, we’re back in the ’60s in uptown Hillsboro, and gee whiz, I’m having a heck of a time keeping track of the time. It’s probably been 15 years since I’ve worn a wristwatch, and the cell phone might stick out in the 1960s, so let’s drive the Studebaker up West Main Street and shop for watches at C.W. Limes Jewelry.

Ladies and gentlemen, since prices in the 1960s are so “inexpensive,” at least compared to today’s inflated dollars, wouldn’t it be nice to purchase some 1960s furniture to decorate a room in your home? In Hillsboro in the early 1960s, we have a few places to choose from, among them: D.M. Evans Co.; Johnnie’s Bargain Center; Pierce Furniture; Phillips Furniture; and Stockwell Furniture Co.

Ladies and gentlemen, we’re having lots of fun in Hillsboro in the early 1960s. We’ve gassed up a classic Studebaker, bought ’60s clothes, did some grocery shopping at Albers on West Main and Kroger on Muntz Street, took in a couple of movies, went to the county fair and watched a couple of Hillsboro High School football games.

Kroger wasn’t located on Harry Sauner Road in the 1960s. It wasn’t at Highland Plaza, as it was when I was in school. It was at 185 Muntz Street in Hillsboro – which is now the Highland County Senior Center, and has been for some time. Before it was on Muntz, Kroger was on South High Street in uptown Hillsboro.

Ladies and gentlemen, since we’ve gone back to Hillsboro in the 1960s, we’ve stopped in at local auto dealers, gas stations and clothing stores. We’ve even visited the county fair and took in a couple of films at the Colony Theatre and a drive-in movie at Roselawn in Allensburg. I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to get a little hungry. Let’s do a little grocery shopping.

Ladies and gentlemen, most folks would think I’ve led a wooden, repetitive life – nothing to write home about. And perhaps that’s true. After all, I’ve spent most my life hanging out in a barn. I spent so much time in that barn I forgot all about my former life. Oh, I vaguely remember bits and pieces here and there, but that was so long ago I don’t know how long ago that was.