125 Years
March 31, 1898
The Miami and Erie Canal between Piqua and Dayton and between Dayton and Middletown has been damaged almost beyond repair by the recent high water. Locks were swept away, great long stretches of the banks are gone and the bed filled up until in many places it is hard to tell the canal once occupied the place. Many boats are left on high ground in places along the route.
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Charles Koch, who purchased the stove stock of Markland and McCaslin two weeks ago has sold it to Robert DeWeese of Port Jefferson who will move it to his store in that place. P.H. Bayley will move his stove and tinware store from his room on Ohio Avenue to the room formerly occupied by Markland and McCaslin.
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The House of Representatives in Columbus yesterday passed a bill recently introduced by C.R. Hess from this county authorizing the county commissioners of Shelby County to levy an additional tax for county purposes.
100 Years
March 31, 1923
John Frantz, bridge builder and cement contractor of Sidney has been awarded a contract for the construction of two slab top bridges and an arch span bridge over Pusheta Creek in connection with the Dixie highway improvement in Auglaize County. The contract was sublet from Lewis and Copeland, contractors on the improvement. Collapse of the Pusheta Creek Bridge last fall prevented the movement of materials onto the construction site from Wapakoneta.
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At a meeting of the board of directors of the Shelby County Investment Service Bureau last evening in the Farm Bureau offices, the officers noted enthusiastically that the entire membership appears anxious to participate in the program that early results may be obtained and that the selling of worthless stocks may soon be eliminated. Membership in the group includes granges, Farm Bureau, building and loans, retail merchants and banks.
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H.L. Brown and Gus Brown for the past 22 years connected with the Wagner Park Nurseries Co. and Conservatory, have taken over the business. The pair became associated with the business shortly after it was started. The change came about as a result of the death of the late B.P. Wagner. The business will be continued under the name of the Wagner Park Nursery Company.
75 Years
March 31, 1948
Packaging of “Neighbors in Action” food cartons for Germany will be carried out in the Slusser-McLean Company plant at the corner of East Avenue and Shelby Street it was announced today by a spokesman for the campaign. Space is available in the plant for storing 20,000, 35-pound boxes and for 150 people to do the packing work.
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Boyer Farm Supply, a new farm machinery dealer, farm machinery repair, welding business will be opened to the public on Thursday by Lowell Boyer. The business has been established in the new building at the corner of North Main Avenue and Russell Street directly across from Wheeler’s Market.
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Sidney’s Police Department has added a new look in the form of a new patrol car. The new cruiser – a blue, four-door Oldsmobile sedan – was placed in use by the police staff yesterday afternoon. One of those “it’s -good-to-get-rid-of-that” signs was in evidence among the officers when their 1942 model cruise was taken away.
50 Years
March 31, 1973
The Board of Trustees of the State General and Technical College last night elected a chairman and vice-chairman, appointed committees and started the ball rolling for preliminary work required in organizing plans for the college.
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J. Daniel Francis, 33, vice president-administration, Sidney Printing and Publishing Company was appointed chairman of the board.
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Advisor Thomas Roetgerman of the Houston FFA chapter recently received word four of the chapter’s members will receive their state FFA degrees at the state convention.
The four – Brian Cron, David Roeth, Scott Webb and Roger Ditmer – will journey to the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus to receive their award during the State FFA convention to be held April 27 – 28.
The X-Ray Department of Wilson Memorial Hospital today announced the completion of a six-week project of installing a new X-Ray generating unit. This unit replaced at 18-year-old unit.
The new unit will allow the X-Ray personnel to complete examinations more rapidly and with a higher degree of diagnostic accuracy.
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“No winner again”, was the Lucky Barrel message Tuesday at Flint’s Electric where the unregistered name of Paul W. Koerner, 406 E. Edgewood Street was drawn. The barrel is now at the The Famous for $600.00.
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Greg Ward, a junior at Fairlawn High School and a member of the FFA, has placed first in the district with his project, star forestry. He received a trophy and a $15 check.
Ward will also be going to the state contest. His project consisted of 1,000 pine trees.
25 years
March 31, 1998
An iconic store in Ft. Loramie is closing. Fort Loramie Furniture has been a staple in the community for 67 years. Its owner, Jerry Slonkosky has operated the business throughout his battle with cancer. He passed away last year and the family decided to close the business. His son in law Ron Hoying is handling the sale of the rest of the inventory.
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Fort Loramie junior David Timmerman has received another honor. He won a medal in math competition by finishing first among all Ft. Loramie students. He also won the medal last year. his score placed him in the top two percent of all students nationally. He will participate in the U.S. Mathematical Olympiad in early May.
These news items from past issues of the Sidney Daily News are compiled by the Shelby County Historical Society (937-498-1653) as a public service to the community. Local history on the Internet! www.shelbycountyhistory.org. Visit the Sidney Daily News website, www.sidneydailynews.com to read the rest of the week’s columns.
