HILLIS, Fred Bascom - Putnam

Ten Greencastle men and three Ladoga men will, as the result of a sale of oil leases on Saturday, divide $400,000.

The leases are in Kentucky. Only a few weeks ago these men paid only $18,000 for the leases.

Fred Hillis, a former Greencastie man, who has been in the Kentucky oil fields for the past few years, is responsible for the financial coup of the local men.

A few months ago he secured options on 474 acres of oil leases in Kentucky for $18,000. Mr. Hillis believed the leases a good investment and came to Greencastle to interest several of his friends in the purchase of them.

Those interested are: Ed. Brockway Edward Hamilton Ed. Houck John Houck Albert Houck Chris Stoner F. M. Lyon Oscar O’Hair Abe Hillis Edgar Shelby, of Ladoga W. Gill, of Ladoga Elbert Caldwell, of Ladoga.

A short time ago Mr. Hillis and his associates gave the Swiss Oil Company an option on the leases at a price of $400,000. The Swiss Oil Company paid $5,000 on the option, which was to expire Saturday.  On Saturday Edward Brockway, Albert Houck, Ed. Houck and F. M.  Lyon went to Bowling Green, Ky., where they met Mr. Hillis and representatives of the Swiss Oil Company and closed the deal. It is said that the leases sold by the local men are now valued at a million dollars, due to developments in the field.

Fred Hillis had the largest interest  in the company, his holdings amounting to approximately one-eighth of the total. On his investment of $2,250 he will receive approximately $49,950.

Greencastle Herald 4-10-1912 p 4

Special session Greencastle Lodge No 1077 Thursday at 7:30 p.m. EE Caldwell, Sec.

GH 19 July 1915 p 1

EE was one of 88 automobile owners who would make the trip from Greencastle to Fincastle to their ice cream festival.  They expected a few more – be on the square at 6 o’clock ready to leave with your auto.  Fincastle was planning to feed them fried chicken, ice cream, cake and other delecacies

Source: Lexington Herald-Leader Fri 31 Aug 1956 p 8 –

Frankfort, Ky – Services for Fred Bascom Hillis, 77 who died Thursday at the Baptist Hospital, Louisville after a short illness will be conducted at 10 a.m. Saturday at the Burdin-Sullivan Funeral Home by the Rev. John C. Chenault. Burial will be in the Lexington Cemetery at Lexington.  Mr. Hillis became ill while visiting his daughter, Mrs. Dorothy Grigsby in Louisville.  A native of Greencastle, Ind he had been an oil distributor in Lexington for many years prior to his retirement 10 years ago. For the past seven years he and his wife, Mrs. Clara Caldwell Hillis had made their home in Frankfort with another daughter, Mrs. Jeanette Yeast. Other survivors are a son, Henry Hillis, Houston, Texas; a sister, Mrs. Alice Lockridge, Greencastle, Ind; 10 grandchildren and six great grandchildren.