125 Years

January 2, 1896

L.M. Studevant and William M. Kingseed have formed a partnership in the insurance business. In addition to the line of companies represented by Mrs. Studevant they have purchased the agency of the Ohio Farmers’ Insurance Co. of J.W. Curd.

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The citizens of northern Shelby county will give a fox chase on Ja. 11. Lines will form at 9:30 and start at 10 o’clock, sun time.

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A meeting of a number of the citizens of Sidney was held at the Wagner House last night to take action in regard to the building of the electric railroad from Sidney to St. Marys via the proposed route through Hardin, Oran, Newport, Loramies, Minster and New Bremen. A resolution to form a company and have the road built passed unanimously. H.T. Mathers and Frank Hunter were appointed to get the matter in shape to push the enterprise.

100 Years

January 2, 1921

A small copper boiler “still” was found along the Miami river just south of the North street bridge Sunday afternoon. The “still” no doubt had been discarded sometime Saturday night by someone who became frightened at the recent arrests made by the police and did not wish to get caught with the evidence. The still was concealed in a burlap bag.

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Lierman C. Smith has purchased the City News stand at the Fry building at the northeast corner of the square from Y.J. Crusey. Smith assumed charge of the business on January 1.

75 Years

January 2, 1946

Honorary memberships have been conferred by the Sidney Altrusa club on Mrs. W.H.C. Goode and Miss Katherine Mumford. They are the first honorary memberships conferred by the local club. Former dean at the former National Park Seminary in Washington, Miss Mumford has won a high place in educational fields. Mrs. Goode has distinguished herself in mission and church endeavors, locally, nationally, and internationally.

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President Truman put it squarely up to the American people today to act to halt strikes, avert the twin threats of inflation and deflation and effect a speedy reconversion to prosperous postwar economics. In a radio address, the President bluntly told Congress to act on recommendations deemed vital to the nation’s welfare.

50 Years

January 2, 1971

Formal transfer of the dealership of the Ford Motor Co. in Sidney from Jerome Wagner Jr. to Don Thompson, of Plymouth, Mich, was completed over the holiday weekend.

Thompson, who took over active operation during the weekend, has been associated with the automotive business for some 25 years. In announcing the transfer of ownership in the agency, Wagner indicated he has several things in mind for the future, but nothing definite at present outside of “my first two-week vacation in 19 years.”

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SAN FRANCISCO – Some time today it will begin to sink in. The Dallas Cowboys really have won a championship and now are headed for the Super Bowl.

“It’s all so fantastic, so unbelievable,” said Cowboy’s quarterback Craig Morton Sunday after he had helped pilot Dallas to a 17-10 victory over the San Francisco Forty Niners, a victory which capped an amazing comeback and put the Cowboys into the Jan. 17 Super Bowl opposite the Baltimore Colts.

25 Years

January 2, 1996

MINSTER – Ruth Schunck said it feels “wonderful” to be 100 years old.

One of the oldest residents in Minster will mark that milestone on Thursday – her birthday. The former Ruth Wittenbrink was born Jan. 4, 1896, in New Bremen. She was the daughter of John and Martha Wittenbrink. Her twin sister, Esther Huckreide, died at the age of 80.

She recalls that her birthday falls during a time when there’s “cold, snow and ice – bad weather.” She was raised at her New Bremen home on Herman Street, and remembered that the home was heated then with only a base burner heating stove. It meant that the family had to spend a lot of time in one or two rooms during winter, because the heater could warm only a few rooms of the house.

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Thanks to another winter storm, today is the fifth day Sidney City Schools have been closed due to bad weather, while rural school districts in Shelby County as well as Minster have used four snow days because of inclement weather so far this season with one snow day left.

Barring a change in state law, school systems have plans in the works to add school days to the calendar when the weather-related closings total exceeds five.