Years Ago in Paulding County
By: MELINDA KRICK
35 Years Ago
From the Antwerp Bee Argus, April 17, 1991:
Desert Storm Troops Coming Home – Terra Schmidt of Paulding and Robert Scott are home. Martin Beck is joining his family this week. SPC Robert Phillips returns home this week.
The theme for the 1991 Antwerp Days Parade is “Our Past, Our Present, Our Future.” Shane Gaisford entered this theme in the Antwerp Chamber of Commerce’s contest at the elementary school. Second prize goes to Leslye Bowers and third prize to Brian Shuherk.
From the Paulding County Progress, April 17, 1991:
Members and guests of the Paulding County Home Extension Clubs observed their annual achievement night. Several club members will be recognized at the Ohio Home Extension Convention. The Latta-Wa Ladies Club will accept two state awards. Three Latta-Wa Ladies, Sharon McClure, Robin Farris and Kathy Denny, will receive recognition during the state cultural arts fair. Cindy Skiver of the Busy Neighbors Club and Virginia Cooper of the Everwilling Club also will be recognized for their skills.
Dortha Schaefer’s weekly column, “The Spice Rack,” is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Dortha started in April 1971 under the title “Making the Scene.” She estimates she has written at least 1,000 columns so far.
70 Years Ago
From the Paulding Progress, April 19, 1956:
Heavy property damage to rolling equipment and railroad right-of-way occurred when 44 loaded cars on an eastbound Nickel Plate Railroad freight train derailed in Oakwood last Thursday morning and piled up into a twisted pile of broken freight cars and assorted merchandise. The scene of the accident was approximately 200 feet east of the viaduct where the railroad crosses over Route 66. The train was being pulled by two steam powered engines with a total of 81 cars. About 500 feet of trackage and roadbed on the main line of the railroad was torn up just west of the Oakwood freight and passenger depot. Cars were stacked up three deep. Officials said the total property loss could run well over $500,000.
Rapid progress is being made on the new multi-million cement plant being built about 2 miles north of Paulding by the Consolidated Cement Corp. The construction is ahead of schedule, as the original announcement in August was that the plant was expected to be in operation in the fall of ’56. Many of the crews have been working around the clock in the construction of the mammoth plant, with the number of workers averaging from 150 to 200 men. When completed, the plant will have an overall length of about 1,200 feet.
Lloyd Parson, proprietor of Parson’s I.G.A. Market on the west side of the square, purchased the Nicelley Super Market, which was sold at public auction. The purchase price was $15,000. Mr. Parson plans to move his business to the new site, located at the north edge of town.
This weekend at the Paulding Theatre: “Bengal Brigade” starring Rock Hudson with the suspense thriller “Life in the Balance” with Ricardo Montalban. Starting Sunday: “Love Is a Many Splendored Thing” in Cinemascope and deluxe color starring Jennifer Jones and William Holden, and Paramount News and cartoon.
95 Years Ago
From the Paulding Democrat, April 16, 1931:
Paulding is now located on a new interstate highway, to be known as U.S. 127. Markers were placed along Route 9 last week, and already travelers are stopping at different places in town and asking what happened to Route 9. The new route will mean a great deal of difference in transient traffic for Paulding during the summer. People around Cincinnati will use the new Route 127 as the shortest and best route to northern Michigan.
From the Paulding County Republican, April 16, 1931:
The work of marking historically interesting points along Revolutionary trails in western Ohio is progressing. Through the efforts of the Ohio Revolutionary Memorial Association, 77 markers will be placed in Van Wert, Paulding, Defiance, Allen, Putnam, Hancock, Hardin and Wyandotte counties. The markers denoting [Gen. Anthony] Wayne’s march through Paulding County have been placed from the south side of the county until the route reaches the Auglaize River at or near Fort Brown. From Fort Brown north, the trail follows the river road on the west side of the Auglaize. Markers are placed in the villages of Roselms and Melrose and at other advantageous points. The site of the Charloe Indian village is among numerous other interesting places to be marked.*
The State Highway Department opened bids for constructing 12 miles of U.S. Route 24, in Paulding County. Included in the contract is a bridge over the Zuber Cut-off of three 50-foot spans. The concrete construction costs about $25,000 less than the macadam type and the state highway department will undoubtedly award the contract for concrete.
135 Years Ago
From the Paulding County Republican, April 16, 1891:
The would-be funny paragraphs about the swamps of Paulding County must be laid away in their little bed. Paulding is coming to the front in great shape. Ten years ago she was considered a sort of annex to Defiance County but now she has the greater population of the two, and only falls a couple of thousand behind Putnam. – Putnam County Vidette
Last Tuesday night the “soiled doves” with which this town and community are cursed, together with their consorts, assembled at Holcombeville and engaged in a dance, during which two sisters got into a scrap. In the melee, Emma stabbed Mary with a knife, once in the head and once in the shoulder. Mary had Emma arrested on a charge of stabbing with intent to kill. The trial took place in Mayor’s Court Tuesday. After hearing the case, Mayor Knapp bound the miscreant over to the Common Pleas Court. She gave a bond of $200.
Scott was visited with a fire, which might have been worse. John Post’s and John McKinney’s saloons on the north side of Blaine Street are in ashes. Mr. Post saved a few things but Mr. KcKinney saved nothing. Mr. Post’s residence is about 30 feet north and nothing but the most heroic efforts of our citizens saved it. It took lots of work and water to save Mr. Moneysmith’s building and Mrs. Mount’s business room and dwelling.
*** Does anyone have photos of these Ohio Revolutionary Trail signs, or know of their locations today? If so, please email Paulding County History Museum at jphs454879@yahoo.com.