Looking Back Through the pages of the Wapakoneta Daily News
100 YEARS AGO, OCTOBER 7, 1920
■ Many horseshoe pitchers of Wapakoneta participated in the contests at the fairgrounds last Sunday— the close of the “barnyard golf” season. Many of the ‘ old masters” attempted to stage comebacks, but were beaten by young blood. Alex Gross was declared winner. The heavers will now lay up their horseshoes until next season. Messrs. Robert Outland of Minneapolis, Alfred Mcatee of Neptune, mercer county, and Asa Mcatee of Zanesville, were present at the matches as guests of A. T. Mcatee, East Pearl street.
75 YEARS AGO, OCTOBER 7, 1945
■ Now Our Service is Complete— We Service All Makes radio, home or commercial refrigeration, washing machines, electrical appliances. TUBES TESTED FREE— We have all available tubes in stock. Our Service Department is in charge of d Garrett— Guilford Archer— Raymond Winemiller. We air condition any room or building. REGISTERED NORGE DEALER. See Norge before you buy. Home Appliance Sales and Service., 10 Park St., Wapakoneta, Ohio. Ed. Garrett, Fred Bubp
■ D. K. Pope, Jr., 40, West Auglaize Street, general sales manager for the moulded goods department of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber company plant at St. Marys, died of a heart attack yesterday morning. He would have celebrated his 41st birthday on October 8. The family came here to reside several years ago when Mr. Pope came to St. Marys as a sales manager for the St. Marys Manufacturing company, a subsidiary of Good year.
■ Chief of Police Walter Menges shot a stray dog at the corner of West Benton and Court streets, opposite the Nazarene church the afternoon of the 5th. It had been lingering about the intersection and had bitten a school boy and a man, the chief was told. The dog was a stray, tan and black in color. Its head has been sent to the state university laboratories for a rabies test.
75 YEARS AGO, OCTOBER 7, 1970
■ The Wapakoneta Area Jaycees and the Wapakoneta Area Chamber of Commerce have announced that their annual Fall Festival will be held on October 28 in downtown Wapakoneta. Eight categories have been established for the fall festival costume contest. Three places prizes will be awarded in each category: $ 5 for first place; $ 3 for second place; and $ 2 for third. The categories will be woman dressed as a man, man dressed as a woman, Indian, hobo, cowboy, patriot, most original, and bets all around costume. The Wapakoneta Junior Service League will also participate in the festival with its annual treasure chest raffle. Another feature of the festival will be the “dig in the straw pile” for a total of $ 15, open to children under eight years. Persons interested in placing a unit or float in the parade have been asked to contact Bill Looker.
■ The comprehensive plan for development of Auglaize County during the next two decades includes a number of recommendations for public buildings and community facilities. Planning for the Neil Armstrong Museum, which is to be built next year in Wapakoneta, should include provisions for expansion of the site to provide additional off- street parking, with subsequent increases in the annual number of visitors. Current estimates predict 250,000 persons will visit the museum each year, but the plan says, “this may provide to be a conservative estimate. The Neil Armstrong Museum should become a tourist attraction of national, even international importance and will result in substantial expenditures on the part of visitors to Auglaize County” the plan says.
■ The plan recommend the county investigate the possibility of establishing a countywide park and recreation group…. The various uses for the proposed Wapakoneta Reservoir should be ” explored in detail.”
25 YEARS AGO, OCTOBER 7, 1995
■ The Wapakoneta Jaycees’ Nightmare Manor Haunted House, located at 1308 Willipie Street, near US 33, opens Friday and will be open Fridays and Saturdays from 7 to 11 p. m. through October 28 and on several other special occasions. The haunted house, held at the Willipie Street location for the second year, has been remodeled by the Jaycees to include a bigger maze, a new sound system, and fog through a major portion of the house. The Jaycees have also purchased tents to protect visitors from adverse weather.