75 years ago, November 12, 1946

One of the most important changes in the downtown Wapakoneta of the post-war era is the tearing down of the old “Zint’s Cabin” next door to the former Western Ohio railway company depot to make room for a new building. The new structure

being erected by Murrel Newland, North Defiance street, for a new concrete block structure with steel front, will be completed by February 1. It is being put up by A.E. Peterson, contractor north of Wapak oneta. It will be a sandwich shop for Mr. Newland’s

sons, Bob Newland and Charles “Chuck” Newland.

The razing of the old structure, a frame build ing that stood south of the depot, recalled today the

heyday of the old Western Ohio depot, when that office under direction of Elmer “Pickles” Newcom

er, was the center about which all activity of a lo cal nature revolved. Basketball teams or any other

organization, outward bound, would meet at the railway station to wait for the cars. The cabin was next door. It was owned by the late Jacob Zint, who erected it about 1904, shortly after the railway was established here in 1901. H.L. Crawford, manager of the Central Ohio Light & Power Company, whose office is the former depot, recalled that he was one of the first employees of the cabin. It was a candy

kitchen or ice cream parlor, first operated by Dick Milburn, old “step and a half,” who later operated

his own candy kitchen then across the street where the Connies Studio is now located. Herb was the

sweep out kid at the Cabin under Dick. After Dick withdrew, it continued under other management

Mrs. Jacon Zint, West Auglaize street, recalled some of her later tenants. They included King & Woehler who started The Smoker, the Yoder Dairy, Gilbert

Gulker, Henry Oen, Harry Brockert the barber Mike Palmisano the fruit dealer, Mrs. George Lear and Earl Orphal, who conducted a harness shop

here for many years. Mrs. Zint owned the build ing until recently she sold it to Mr. Newland. It was popular as a candy kitchen and when it became The

Smoker it was equally popular. The Smoker moved to Auglaize Street after the cars quit operating in 1931 on the Western Ohio. Thereafter the room be came a billiard hall and later on a harness shop

One small room to the south of the main room was operated as a barbershop by the late David Fisher who died abroad in the First World War, and by Earl Bechdolt and others. The small space between

the cabin and the depot was used at one time for a peanut stand which was operated by Clarence Wan namaker, a victim of the influenza epidemic which

scoured the land in 1919. The restaurant room, now occupied by the Heinls with a floor covering store stood for many years with its floor on the alley and street at the corner and was known as the Home Restaurant. It was long operated for Mr. Zint, the owner, by Frank Braun, 407 Defiance Street. Thus the days of the Western Ohio with its “center of the local universe” located on Blackhoof street, are gone forever. The new hamburger shop may bring a

revival of interest in South Blackhoof street.