Looking Back
Through the pages of the Wapakoneta Daily News
100 YEARS AGO, MARCH 13, 1921
Stockholders of the Wapakoneta Farmers’ Grain Co. decided at a meeting Wednesday afternoon to accept a new building as an addition to those which the company owns on South Logan street, adjacent to the T&OC railroad. Approximately 100 stockholders were present. The building will be 40 feet long and 30 feet wide. It will be of frame construction and will house grinding machinery. Some of the space within it will be used for storage. Several expert carpenters will be hired to superintend the work but the bulk of the actual work on the building will be done by the stockholders themselves.
75 YEARS AGO, MARCH 13, 1946
When ticket purchasers for the Saturday night basketball game at Kenton lined up in a long line from the Wapa theatre ticket window hat was something new in Wapakoneta sports history. It shows what a winning tea, will do. If we only had a floor large enough to hold one of those tournaments here.
Henry Moser of Ann Arbor, arrived here this week and began preparations to take over the Moser jewelry store, West Auglaize street. Mr. Moser will thus keep up a tradition that has lasted in Wapakoneta since 1866, when his great-grandfather arrived here from Lyons, France, and opened up in the same location on West Auglaize street, the first Moser jewelry store. It has successively been owned and operated by Henry Moser, whose death occurred in 1922, and by Emil Moser, father of the new owner, whose death took place about four years ago. The Moser jewelry store will be modernized by the new owner, he said. What this will include will have to await development of the times. The new owner is a native Wapakonetan. His father served as mayor of the city for four years about 15 years ago. Henry Moser is a former teacher in Blume High from which he himself graduated in 1919. The Blume Retrospect of that year prophetically state that his future days will be spent as a jeweler.” Following his teaching career in this city he became teacher in the Henry Ford high school at Detroit and from there was recalled to his alma mater at the University of Michigan He became professor of public speaking and continued in that post until he was taken into the U.S. Army as a special agent in the department of information and was stationed for two years in Texas. He was released from the army on Labor Day of last year. His wife is the former Miss Florence Abe of this city and they have two children, Michael and Jann. They will reside with Mrs .Emil Moser, West Auglaize street.
50 YEARS AGO, MARCH 13, 1971
It’s over and done for this year, but what about next season? Have faith, fans, the Knights of St. Joseph WILL be back and maybe, just maybe, they’ll get that elusive victory over the St. Henry Redskins. The Knights closed out their banner season Thursday night in a heartbreaking loss to the Redskins, 79-73. Senior guard Dave Zofkie turned in the finest performance of his playing career, as he canned 26 points on a variety of shots. Wild Zok bombed in 2-footers, hit hook shots, driving layups, and fastbreak buckets to lead all scorers. St. Joseph’s Dabbeltdrexler duo accounted for 28 points, as Dan and Bob scored 14 a piece. Playmaker Greg Luthman threw in 12 points in another excellent performance. It was a tough loss, but congratulations, Knights, on a great season. You truly deserve some praise. –Well break out the baseball bats!
Brian Mincks died on March 12 in the Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. He had been ill since January 1. His parents, Dale and Margaret Mincks, survive at 505 W. Benton Street. His wife, the former Christina Schmaltz, and four-year-old son survives as well. Brian was a 1966 graduate of Wapakoneta Senior High School, a graduate of the Columbus Barber College, and a member of the First United Methodist Church in Wapakoneta.
St. Paul United Church of Christ recently honored the ladies who have given many years of service to the church as Sunday School teachers. Each was presented a corsage of red rose. They are Mrs. Stephen Armstrong (40 years), Miss Janis Rohrbaugh (37 years), Mrs. Marion Erb (35 years), Mrs. John Ritter (32 years), Mrs. Walter Bauer (31 years), Miss Regina Ritter (30 years), and Mrs. Helen George (25 years).
25 YEARS AGO, MARCH 13, 1996
A Wapakoneta resident was named Employee of the Month by the Ohio Department of Transportation, District One. Russ Slonecker, an assistant production administrator, has been an ODOT employee for 13 years. A 1983 graduate of Ohio Northern University, Slonecker has been a licensed professional engineer since 1988. Slonecker and his wife, Lisa, have three daughters and are members of the Wapakoneta Parents’ Club.