Looking Back

Through the pages of the Wapakoneta Daily News

100 YEARS AGO, OCTOBER 30, 1921

After threatening all day and up to as late as 5 pm, the rain clouds at last parted and swept to the north and

south of Wapakoneta and cleared up for the night program of the Mardi Gras, the opening night of the Harvest

Sale inaugurated by the merchants of Wapakoneta. At no time was there a thought that the night season would turn out as fine as did Thursday night’s brand of weather.

So positive was the populace that there would be no big celebration on account of the inclemency of the weather that the crowds did not begin to congregate until almost 7 o’clock…..about 7:15 the merry makers began to appear. They came from every direction and in an incredibly

short space of time Auglaize Street between Blackhoof and Park streets was a veritable jam of maskers and onlookers. The City Band swept into Auglaize Street from Willipie and soon the parade was in formation and shortly the comic and solemn costumed were massed into a long line of paraders. The bunch was herded to the east

end of Auglaize Street where the parade was officially formed. The two members of the committee, Harry Kahn and George Newcomb, both shoe dealers promoting the

big celebration, led ahead of the band. Following the music came the maskers in double lines. The Boy Scouts were on hand and ably kept the streets cleared, sufficiently wide to enable the marchers to stage a very creditable parade. The police aided in the work. The march proceeded west on Auglaize as far as Perry Street, where it concluded at the dancing place. The maskers numbered about 500.

Perry Street from Auglaize Street to the first alley south had been roped off for the dancers. The band stand was located at the south end of the dancing space and

from the location the dancing was directed. At first the general public other than the maskers were backward about entering into the sport, but it wasn’t long until the

space was hardly large enough to accommodate those dancingly inclined. The hope last until near 11 o’clock. The pavement was made better for dancing by an application of cornmeal distributed over the surface of the street. In a short time it had spread over every inch of the surface and made dancing easy.

MARDI GRAS SPECIALS FOR Saturday—the last and biggest day. Wieners, per lb., 18 cents. Bologna, per lb., 16 cents. Liver Pudding, per lb., 12 ½ cents. We will

have plenty of Distelrath’s Famous Blood Pudding and Head Cheese. We will have four deliveries Saturday. Willipie Street Market

John Helmlinger, aged 74, a rover and wandering horse trader, is near Death’s door at the County Home as the result of exposure from sleeping in an old wagon at the Henry Vossler farm, rural route No.4. He contracted

a heavy cold, which, coupled with his advanced age and the nomadic life he has been leading is expected to cause

his death. He is well known to Dr. S.H. Sibert and family at Fryburg. He worked there off and on for about 20 years as a farm hand, but for the last year his whereabouts were unknown to them. Until recently he made his home

at the Jacob Kupper residence in the east part of this city. He left there sometime ago for the Vossler farm, where he secured a job husking corn. He obtained plenty to eat,

but did not sleep in the house, so he established sleeping quarters in a dilapidated wagon outside. Dampness and cold caused him to become severely ill. He was removed to the County Home on Wednesday. In his delirium he talks almost constantly of making liquor. While at the Kupper home Helmlinger bought a white horse for a dollar. He bought a bale of hay to feed it and it cost him more than the horse was worth. He left through fear of being

called as a witness in the divorce suit filed by Mr. Kupper against his wife. The former is a driver for the Burden

sawmill. Helmlinger rigged up an old wagon which he covered with pieces of tin and used to roam around in it.

75 YEARS AGO, OCTOBER 30, 1946

BAGS—WE buy burlap and cotton bags regardless o condition for highest prices. Bring them to our plant. Wapakoneta Bag Co., E. Silver St., Wapakoneta

50 YEARS AGO, OCTOBER 30, 1971

Five are on Tuesday’s ballot for Wapakoneta City Council at large. They are: Jon Anspaugh, 36, 210 E. Silver Street, a Democratic candidate. He is owner of Anspaugh’s Barbershop on West Auglaize Street. Jacque Brown, 48, 322 Stinebaugh Drive is a Republican candidate. He is seeking re-election for a third term. Brown is the manager of Stinebaugh Lumber Company. William

Smallwood, 31, 13 S. Seltzer Street, is a Republican candidate, and a programmer analyst for Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. James Smithey, 28, 904 W. Benton Street, is a Democratic candidate, and vice president and treasurer of Frost and Co., Inc. Smilie Wolfe, Jr., 43, 721 W. Auglaize

Street, is a Republican candidate. He is an employee of the Buckeye Pipeline Co. of Lima.

25 YEARS AGO, OCTOBER 30, 1996

SWCD mates square off on Tuesday. Bergman pounding the pavement to offer his views to county resident….bergman, 42, Mercer-auglaize County Line Road,

St. Marys, is the Democratic candidate for the commission post vacated by Norville Freymuth. Bergman operates a cash grain farm outside of St. Marys….settlage says his experiences goes beyond life on the farm….

Settlage, 61, Clover Leaf Road, New Knoxville, is the Republican candidate for the commission seat. Settlage

says he has gained valuable experience in his nine years as board chairman of the Soil and Water Conservation

District. Bergman is a four-term Noble Township trustee and was elected supervisor of the district for three terms.

Looking Back is compiled by Everett II