WAPAKONETA – The Auglaize County Historical Society will host its annual meeting at 7 p.m. Nov. 7 at the St. Joseph Parish Life Center, Wapakoneta.

Following a brief business meeting, Timothy R. Gaffney will present “Brewing History of Auglaize County.” The event is free and open to the public. The Parish Life Center is accessible from the church parking lot off Blackhoof Street (south of Pearl) in Wapakoneta. Refreshments will be served.

Gaffney is an internationally published author of books for children and adults and a retired newspaper journalist. He was a reporter with the Dayton Daily News as military affairs and aviation writer for 21 years until his retirement at the end of 2006.

Gaffney’s post-retirement career includes serving as director of communications for the National Aviation Heritage Area from October 2012 to August 2019. The National Aviation Heritage Area includes the Armstrong Air & Space Museum.

Gaffney’s children’s picture book “Wee and the Wright Brothers” (Henry Holt, 2003) was reprinted in Mandarin by a Taiwanese publisher. “Dayton Beer: A History of Brewing in the Miami Valley” (2019) is his 16th book and his second by The History Press (Arcadia Publishing Inc.).

Gaffney is a trustee of the United States Air and Trade Show, Inc. (the Dayton Air Show). A native of Dayton, he has lived in the Miami Valley most of his life; he currently resides in Miamisburg with his wife, Jean. They have four grown children, two grandchildren and two dogs. Gaffney is a private pilot.

“Timothy Gaffney promises to be a fascinating speaker as we’ll learn more about the breweries of Minster, New Bremen and Wapakoneta,” Historical Society Administrator Rachel Barber said. “He’ll also have copies of his brand new book for sale.”

Founded in 1963, the Auglaize County Historical Society collects, preserves, interprets and shares the history of Auglaize County, enriching lives by connecting people and communities to the past and to each other.

For more information about this event or the Auglaize County Historical Society, contact [email protected] or 419-738-9328. The Auglaize County Historical Society is also on Facebook.