125 Years
June 5, 1898
The seventh annual commencement of the Green township public schools was held on the M.E. church at Plattsville last evening. The church was packed to capacity. There were eight graduates: James Shropshire, Harry Williams, Fay Frazier, William Gaver, Earl Hageman, Chester Johnston, Clifford Fuller, and Ernest Rolfe.
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Among the list of applicants for superintendent of the Dayton public schools to succeed Prof. White, who resigned to accept the commission of Lieutenant-colonel of the Third regiment, is the name of Dr. E.S. Cox, superintendent of the schools in this city.
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On account of the excessive heat last night, the volunteers did not drill. Quite a number took the physical examination, however. There will be a drill tonight unless the armory is too warm.
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For water supply in case of fire, the Botkins council has purchased the pond belonging to C. Hemmert. With a small sum of money, the pond can be made to hold several thousand barrels of water.
100 Years
June 5, 1923
The Red Star bus line is now operating every hour between this city and Dayton, leaving at five minutes before every hour during the day, starting at 6 a.m. every morning. The management has placed expert drivers in charge, eliminating all the danger of accidents. Fares from Sidney are $1.15 to Dayton; 35c to Piqua, and 60c to Troy.
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Hon. Gilbert Bettman, of Cincinnati, state commander of the American Legion; Dr. C.E. Sinks, of Lima, district chairman, and John J. Saslavsky, of Columbus assistant state adjutant, were guests of the local post of the Legion for lunch at the Wagner House today. The officers were in Sidney in the interests of a membership drive that is being conducted by the Legion all over the state.
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The air pressure tank at the garage in Montra, owned by Everett Davis, burst yesterday afternoon, raising the roof on the back part of the garage, breaking several windows in the building and also breaking four of the windows in the Methodist church that is near the garage.
75 Years
June 5, 1948
Diplomas were awarded to 122 seniors during the annual commencement program last evening at Sidney High school. Presentation was made by Arnold Henke, president of the board of education. The Laura Applegate scholarship awards were presented by Anna Pearl Ferguson and Harold Franklin Stockstill, with John Enders, Jr. receiving the Kiwanis scholarship.
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Sidney residents were asked today by the city engineer and service director to conserve the low supply of water by halting the sprinkling of lawns. Engineer E.H. Maurer and Frank Rohler, service director, said the water situation in Sidney will become serious during the current dry spell unless the dwindling supply is conserved.
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Two Shelby county youths are among the 150 young Ohioans who will receive the coveted “state farmer” degree in ceremonies at Ohio State University tonight. The two are, Harry Lentz, of Anna, and Carl J. Boerger, from Fort Loramie.
50 Years
June 5, 1973
NEW BREMEN – Zion United Church of Christ has announced purchase of approximately three acres of land north of the village on the James Hudson Farm. Purchase price is $12,000, William Frey, president of the church consistory, reported.
Richard Graham, building committee head, said church design plans may be expedited now that dimensions of the building siter are known.
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A severe spring storm rumbled throughout Shelby County earlier last night and resulted in scattered power outages, broken tree limbs and blinding driving conditions.
The thunderstorm hit Shelby County about 6:30 p.m. Rain was mixed with violent winds. Dayton Power and Light Co. had five crewmen on duty last night as numerous power outages were reported.
25 Years
June 5, 1998
BELLEFONTAINE – Downtown businesses which were hurt after the nation’s first concrete street was closed to traffic in 1991 soon may have something to smile about. Mayor Gail Hamilton said Thursday he is considering reopening the roadway.
The block-long section of street was poured in 1891 by George Bartholomew, who perfected the making of highly durable Portland cement. In an effort to preserve it, the street was closed to traffic in 1991 and a statue of Bartholomew was erected on the street in his honor.
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The driver of a large milk truck that collapsed a small bridge near Minster last year is being sued by Shelby County Commissioners in Shelby County Common Pleas Court.
On July 1, 1997, Harlan Jung of Halmer, Ohio, was operating a tractor-trailer rig along Dirksen Road when he attempted to drive over a bridge near Arrowhead Park Golf Course. The rig and its load of milk weighed a total of 32.5 tons, more than double the posted weight limit of 13 tons.
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.
