50 Years Ago: Hillhouse first Vietnam vet to join Post 29
50 Years Ago From the Herald and
Democrat in 1968 The membership drive of Siloam Post No. 29, American Legion, reached a total of 133 members, 24 of which were new members, the latest additional new member being Dwight D. Hillhouse, the first Vietnam Veteran to join the Post, son of Robert L. Hillhouse, also a member of Post 29.
30 Years Ago From the Herald-Democrat in 1988
In addition to entering into a lease/purchase agreement for a new fire truck earlier in the month, the Siloam Springs Board of Directors purchased a new ambulance for the city’s fire department at their Feb. 16 meeting.
Bids from two companies were under review by the board: $43,565 from Bridger’s Coach Co. of Little Rock, Ark., and $52,785 from Excellence of Madison, Ala.
At their Feb. 4 meeting, the board tabled the ambulance purchase so that differences between the two models offered could be compared. City Administrator Jim Corl recommended purchasing the Bridger’s ambulance, while Fire Chief Wayne Brashear recommended the Excellence model.
The primary difference between the two models was the material used for the interior cabinet work. Bridger’s used wood, Excellence used aluminum. After a brief comparison of the two as presented by representatives from each company, board member Sue Anglin made a motion to accept Bridger’s bid. The board approved the motion 6-1, with board member Bob Henry casting the only “no” vote.
10 Years Ago From the Herald-Leader in 2008 Romance has been alive and well for many years on Valentine’s Day, in Siloam Springs and around the world.
According to Wikipedia, Valentine’s Day is a holiday celebrated on Feb. 14. It is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other; sending Valentine’s cards or offering candy.
It is also very common to present flowers on Valentine’s Day.
The holiday is named after two among the numerous early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.
The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of “valentines.”
Modern Valentine symbols include the heartoutline and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to massproduced greeting cards.
The mid-19th century Valentine’s Day trade was a harbinger of further commercialized holidays in the United States to follow. The U.S. greeting Card Association estimated that approximately one billion cards are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas.
The association estimated that women purchase approximately 85 percent of all Valentine cards.
— Editor’s Note: The story above was accompanied by Historic Valentine’s Day cards, courtsey of Don Warden and Sarah Gatling.