Looking Back
Through the pages of the Wapakoneta Daily News
100 YEARS AGO, DECEMBER 29, 1921
■ Santa Claus got too near the Christmas tree with his whiskers while making a call at the John Hangen home on Pine Street, and while lighting the candles for the younger children of the family set fire to his whiskers. As a result, Miss Lucy Hangen, aged 19 years, third eldest of the six children, is suffering from burns about the neck, left ear, lips, and nose. Caused when the cotton whiskers ignited. She was in the act of lighting the higher candles when the whiskers came in contact with the flame of one of the lower candles already lighted. She rushed from the room and her mother wrapped a rug from the floor about her. A physician dressed the burns. The four year old youngster in the family says she does not believe in Santa Claus anymore.
■ MM Harry Shannon, Sr., 308 West Auglaize Street, this city, expressed a 70 pound box of Christmas dinner, consisting of an 18 pound turkey, and all the necessary trimmings, to the Shannon Stock company playing this week in Front Royal, Virginia. Harry Shannon, Jr., and Miss Hazel Shannon are managing and leading this splendid company this season, while MM Shannon, Sr., are resting a few months at their home in this city.
■ Ticket agents at local railroad stations report an unusually heavy Christmas passenger traffic over Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after. Waiting rooms in all depots were well filled with travelers for both day and night trains, they say. In spit of the great amount of traveling most of the trains were running on schedule time.
■ Employees of the Deisel-wemmer company are enjoying an annual vacation period, usually taken each year during the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day, while an inventory is taken of the assets of the concern.
■ The Auglaize Post American Legion has undertaken a very creditable job, but in order to make good, it will have to have the support of the public. The Legion has undertaken to act as the clearing house between former service men out of jobs, but desiring them and the general public. There are many households in the city as well as places of business where odd jobs for men are of daily occurrence. Touch the telephone and get in communication with the Post Commander and he will see that a man able to and willing will soon be one deck to perform the job you want one. Save your odd jobs for the men and boys who need them.
75 YEARS AGO, DECEMBER 29, 1946
■ Rotarians enjoyed a white elephant gift exchange at their noonday luncheon in the Lyman Restaurant. Gifts that ranged all the way from a pair of spectacles to two packages of chewing tobacco were unwrapped by Rotarians. Paul Rodeheffer of Moulton, who was a cattle tender on the first boat that was sent by the Church of the Brethren abroad for relief of French people following the war, was the guest speaker. He related incidents of the trip in which 2800 heifers have now been distributed among the war sufferers. Miss Joan Goeke presented two piano selections. Ferd Detjen of Moulton was the program chairman.
■ Women Wanted for Production Work. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. St. Marys, Ohio
50 YEARS AGO, DECEMBER 29, 1971
■ U.S. Air Force Major Tom Schnell, son of Mrs. Bob Schnell, 509 W. Mechanic Street, has received the Distinguished Flying Cross for aerial achievement in Southeast Asia. The FC is the nation’s third highest military award. Major Schnell distinguished himself as an EB-66 Destroyer electronic warfare officer while participating in a reconnaissance mission over a high threat area. Major Schnell a 1953 graduate of Blume High School, earned his BS degree in aeronautical engineering at Ohio State University.
■ When Bill Berg married Judy and the traditional vows were exchanged, nothing was said about her participating at a hog butchering. But she did this week, even to the extent of stuffing sausage. A far cry from being an English Teacher.
■ Announcing! A new addition tour menu— Spaghetti and Meat Balls with salad. Served Daily. $1.25 Eat in or Carry Out. Wapak Pizza Chef, 16 S. Blackhoof
25 YEARS AGO, DECEMBER 29, 1996
■ Members of the Wapakoneta Flying Club, Inc., met at Brown’s Restaurant for dinner and later went to the home of Egon and Dorothy Berg, East Mechanic Street, for the business meeting, which was conducted by Dorothy Berg, president. Minutes were read by Nellie Miller, and Mary Margaret Moore gave the financial report.