125 Years Ago
September 16, 1899
The contract for the new barn at the Children’s home was awarded to H.L. Loudenback by the Commissioners.
The third day of the fair was a most successful one and it is reported that between eight and ten thousand people were on the grounds. Races yesterday were the leading attraction with the grandstand packed to capacity.
In addition to meats I am now handling, I will commence handling fresh beef. Buy your beef from me and save 11/2 cents per pound. G.H. Morlock. – adv’t.
100 Years Ago
September 16, 1924
Behind a room in which a milk bottling business was carried on and behind a partition, the door through which was hidden by coats and wraps, Sheriff Wooley of Logan County and four other officers found a 12 gallon still in full operation Thursday night and arrested the owner near Lakeview. A 50 gallon barrel of whiskey full to the top, two 50 gallon barrels nearly full of mash and still warm, a 12 gallon copper boiler and coil, a three burner gasoline stove and a cloth bag full of sliced potatoes were among the things that greeted the eyes of the officers as they went through the hidden door.
During the fair, the Shelby County Motor Club had a guessing contest as to the number of passenger license tags issued from their office in 1924. Passenger license guesses ran from 1,156 to 60,000,000. Nearest guess was J.W. Pfeil at 4,253.
75 Years Ago
September 16, 1949
The Ferguson Candy company has moved from 313 East Court street to the rear of 405 South Miami avenue into a newly-built warehouse, it was announced today by Thomas Ferguson.
Harness racing, 1949 style, gripped the interest of local sports- loving fans today as the Shelby County fair’s speed program inched its way to concluding exercises, set for Friday afternoon. The modern touch evinced itself in the widely- used starting gate, employed on the local track for the first time in the history of the county festival.
FORT LORAMIE – Workmen have started on the new Post Office.
50 Years Ago
September 16, 1974
LOCKINGTON The second – annual Pickawillany Days Festival of the village held during the weekend – attracted between 2,500 and 3,000 people from throughout the state. Gaining in popularity over last year, the festival included rifle and musket demonstrations, spinning and lace- making exhibits, and rifle shooting practice for young and old visitors.
A protest walk-out of some Shelby County Courthouse employees is planned following the arrest of a courthouse custodian today by Sidney Police. The custodian was charged with littering by police, after he allegedly kicked soft drink and beer cans onto Ohio Avenue, near Court Street. Police speculate he was angered by debris along the street which he believes the city should pick up.
25 Years Ago
September 16, 1999
Sidney is looking to add five new positions next year and a total of 19 positions over the next five years. The city also plans to reclassify some jobs to assure that people doing the same work are paid equally and to remedy situations where employees are asked to accept more responsibility than what their job calls for. City Manager Mike Puckett mentioned this at the City Council meeting Monday night as he reviewed the part of the city’s five-year financial plan covering operations. Puckett said that a “significant amount of additional bodies” are called for in the plan. The hirings are to address the growth the city is experiencing, not only in size but in numbers of calls for service. Puckett said the Sidney Police Department has experienced a 19 percent increase in calls for service since 1996. The increase is even greater for the Sidney Fire Department, where calls for service have increased a whopping 79 percent since 1990. The plan proposes to add three deputy bailiffs/security officers to the Sidney Municipal Court staff in 2000. Puckett said these positions will address security and a higher workload in the probation department. Other hirings for the new year will be a full-time meter reader for the Water Department and a utility mechanic for maintenance of the three lift stations the city had added. Another two lift stations are in the five-year plan.
Hot weather added up to a profitable season for the Sidney Municipal Swimming Pool, with the pool taking in $53,108.65 in revenues this year. Sidney Recreation Coordinator Carrie Eckenrode updated the Sidney Recreation Board Monday afternoon on the pool and the summer lunch program. “Nobody comes when school starts. They’re not thinking of the pool,” he said, noting that he had not heard anything negative about the hours. “We did extremely well,” she said of the pool, attributing the success, for the most part, to the hot summer. When compared to 1998, there was a 10 percent increase in season tickets, a 3 percent increase in daily admissions and an overall 9 percent increase in revenues. Rates and hours were the same this year as last. Pool Manager Tony Wagner said that the hours worked out well, especially closing the pool when school starts.
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.
