125 years
August 3, 1898
Bids were received by the county commissioners at their meeting yesterday for the erection of a hoist bridge across the canal on Water Street in this city. There were nine bids submitted, but the contract has not yet been awarded. There is some question whether the contract can be awarded unless the funds for the project are in the process of collection.
100 years
August 3, 1923
President Harding died at 7:30 last evening (Pacific time) in his suite at a San Franscico hotel. A stroke of apoplexy was the cause of death. Vice President Calvin Coolidge was sworn in as President at 2:46 a.m. by his father, a notary public, in a room in the Coolidge homestead near Plymouth, Vt.
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A new siren horn was placed on one of the trucks at the fire department. The boys were out driving this morning to see if it would work. It worked alright.
75 years
August 3, 1948
City softball league officials were making arrangements today to accommodate one of the largest crowds of the current campaign, when “Old Timers” appear in a special exhibition at Holy Angels field Thursday evening. The “Old Timers” team will be made up of members of the famous Prima team of the 30s which went to the state finals. They will be opposed Thursday by the American Legion team.
50 years
August 3, 1973
It’s over. The 1973 Shelby County Fair came to a conclusion last night. In the secretary’s office a weary crew of workers was looking forward to catching up on lost sleep and closing the doors of the office behind them for the last time this season. They were Mrs. Marvin Sollman, Mrs. Howard Pfaadt and Mrs. Louis Bertsch, all of Anna, and Mrs. Richard Zimpher of Sidney. Total attendance for this year was about 14,000, an increase of about 2,000 persons over last year.
25 years
August 3, 1998
PHOTO: Dorothy Arnie of Sidney hangs one of her paintings in preparation for Tuesday’s noon opening ceremonies for the second juried Gateway Arts Exhibition. The free display, which includes the works of adult and youth artists as well as panels from the Names Project Foundation AIDS Quilt, will be presented at the former Goffena Furniture building and Canal Place.
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If it wouldn’t have been for some trash-talkin’ Jeff Gates might not have been on the track trashing his ’72 Chevy station wagon. Gates, an annual competitor in the Shelby County Fair’s Demolition Derby over the years and a past winner, walked away from derby competition a couple years ago and was planning to stay away. But he didn’t like the talk. I heard of some people trash-talkin’. You know, saying things like they run me out of the derby.
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Many personnel changes have occurred, including in the top administrative post in Sidney City Schools. Due to the resignation of David Dolph as superintendent, David McKay, who was the former personnel director for Sidney City Schools, has been appointed interim superintendent. Among the new teaching and other certified staff for 1998-99 are: Aaron Berning, Lowell; Carey Bonifas, Longfellow; Kathy DeVelvis, Emerson; Leah Finke, Bridgeview; Victoria Gatewood, Sidney High; Deana Gilbert, Bridgeview.
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.
