Throwback Thursday: October 12

News from around Johnson County as reported on Oct. 12 in the pages of the Daily Journal and the Franklin Evening Star from the last 111 years.

On this day in 2018, the main story on the front page of the Daily Journal was about a Franklin woodworker turning a historic Franklin College tree into unique tables.

The more than 100-year-old tree had grown on the north side of Franklin College’s Barnes Hall, towering over the campus. But as plans for an expanded science center came together, the tree’s close proximity to the building made construction impossible without cutting it down.

Although the walnut tree was cut down, it found another way to remain part of campus.

With the help of local artist and woodworker Sean Fagan, wood from the tree was able to again be part of student life at the science center. The college had the wood from the tree milled and processed to be turned into one-of-a-kind study tables by Fagan.

In October 2018, slabs of the richly grained wood were being worked on — with the goal being to have the tables ready by the following November.

It was a neat project that put the tree to good use, Fagan said. Without it, “the tree probably would have become firewood at that point,” he said.

Fagan was thankful that he was working with walnut, an easier wood to work with.

“Walnut is one of the better woods, very easy to work with. You don’t have to do too much to make it look beautiful,” he said. “It already has its own color to it. It has its own beauty to it.”

—

Other memorable Johnson County stories from this day

1983

A proposed plan would expand Indian Creek’s school board from three members to five.

1973

The installation of Johnson County’s first cable television system was nearing completion in Franklin.

1963

Vandals smashed windows at six firms located in and around downtown Franklin.