125 Years
Feb. 24, 1898
The Sidney public library has been remodeled and refurnished and yesterday was opened again to the public. A large number of new books have been purchased, some of these are already on the shelves while others are to arrive in a few days. The library has no complete catalog at present, but there are a number of findings listed for the convenience of those desiring to consult them in the selection of books to be borrowed.
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C.R. Rodgers went to Cincinnati today to make arrangements for the bill posters convention which will be held in this city in May.
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Telephones have been put in the livery barn of Clem Sargent, Shine’s saloon and into residences of Rev. F.M. Quatman, William McCabe and Mrs. Elizabeth Rebstock.
100 Years
Feb. 24, 1923
The annual meeting of the Shelby County Deer Hunters Association, for the purpose of electing officers, was held in the assembly room of the court house yesterday. G.E. Allinger was elected president; George Kordis will open a billiard parlor in the south room of the Stanley Bryan new building on South Ohio avenue as soon as the room is completed. It will be known as the Royal Billiard Parlor.
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Rehearsals are well underway for the big Legion Follies that will be the offering of the local post this season. Fully 75 people will participate in the fun fest that will be offered for two days, Mar. 12-13 at the Majestic theatre. The principal fun-makers for the production will be Fred Griffis, Chuck Benjamin, and Dave Sheldon.
75 Years
Feb. 24, 1948
Selection of E.H. Clifford as chairman and setting of Apr. 4, 5, and 6 as the dates for the big Sidney gas and electric appliance dealers shown in the armory were the chief features of a meeting held yesterday afternoon in the Dayton Power and Light Co. service building, with 12 local appliance dealers represented. Harold Christman, of DP&L was named secretary-treasurer for the affair.
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A first-hand picture of conditions in post-war Germany was given to Sidney club women last evening, when they had John Dolibois, executive secretary of the Miami University alumni, as speaker for the joint meeting of the City Federation of Women’s Clubs and the American Association of University Women. Dolibois, a naïve of Luxembourg, was a former U.S. Military intelligence officer and interrogator during the war crimes trials in Germany.
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President Edward Benes struggled today to save Czechoslovakia from complete communist domination but Red leaders under Premier Gottwald pushed their campaign remorselessly.
50 Years
Feb. 24, 1973
Kocher Lumber Co., E. Court Street, which has been a Sidney industry since the 1920s, will close its doors Feb. 28 and the stock will be transferred to the George T. Kocher Lumber Co., Lima.
George T. Kocher of Lima said, “This is the same story which is being repeated in the lumber companies throughout the United States. Figures show that approximately 75 percent of the small family-owned lumber companies are closing.”
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VERSAILLES – Larry Willhelm was elected president of the Versailles Community Scholarship Fund Committee (VCSFC) in a meeting held Feb. 15.
Other officers elected were: vice president, Earl Keyser; secretary, Laura Paulus, and treasurer, The Rev. Paul Burgeson.
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Joseph B. Cook, chairman of the board of Citizens Baughman National Bank, who stepped down as active operating officer Jan. 1 but remains chairman of the board, was honored at a surprise party held at Burks Banquet House last night.
Cook has been associated with the bank for 35 years.
25 Years
Feb. 24, 1998
HOUSTON – The Hardin-Houston Board of Education agreed by a split vote recently to renovate the high school gymnasium.
By a vote of 3-2, the board will undertake projects that will total $61,653, according to Superintendent Anthony Frierott.
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Responding to the increasing number of people wanting to assist law enforcement officials and build a strong partnership in the fight against crime, Sheriff Mark Schemmel said Shelby County citizens are being invited to become associate members of the Buckeye State’s Sheriffs’ Association.
Membership appeals go out in the mail shortly. Individuals choosing to join the voluntary program can do so for $20. The funding provides technical resources, training and legislative support on key criminal justice issues.
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KISSIMMEE – Rescuers searched the ruins early today for people still missing a day after a band of monster tornadoes killed at least 37, leaving a deadlier swath of destruction than Hurricane Andrew.
