Category: Historical Events
On July 24, 1939, a U.S. Army Grumman OA-9 amphibian crashed into Grand Lake St. Marys during preparations for the 30th anniversary of Army aviation. Within a week, the same Ohio lake became the surprise finish line for a secret world-record flight that showcased American air power on the eve of World War II.
The definitive history of the 1910 St. Marys elephant walk. Meet Granada and Fedora, the world-famous daredevils inside the 80-pound costume who walked a wire above Spring Street, and discover the incredible coast-to-coast tour that brought their legendary act to Ohio.
In 1927, an alligator gifted to St. Marys’ Memorial Park escaped into the St. Marys River, disappearing for over a month. The town was electrified when news broke that their fugitive reptile had been captured by a fisherman eighty miles away in Fort Wayne, Indiana. However, the celebration was short-lived. The story took an incredible turn when the captured alligator…
For a few remarkable hours on Wednesday morning, July 18, 1990, Celina, Ohio, became an unwitting stage for a vision of the future. Down Main Street, the town’s artery which also serves as U.S. Route 127, glided a procession unlike any seen before or since.¹⁰ These were the futuristic vehicles of GM Sunrayce USA, an […]
On September 10, 1851, thousands gathered in Fort Recovery, Ohio, to witness the solemn reburial of soldiers who had perished in the catastrophic defeat of General Arthur St. Clair’s army in 1791. The event, later referred to as “Bone Burying Day,” was one of the most significant early efforts to commemorate the soldiers who lost […]
The creation of Auglaize County in 1848 was not a straightforward process but rather a contentious event that revealed the complexities of Ohio’s mid-19th-century political landscape. The new county, directly and indirectly carved from portions of Allen, Mercer, and Putnam counties, sparked heated debates and strong opinions both in the Ohio General Assembly and among […]
Mercer County, Ohio, is home to stories that weave together its early frontier history, a sensational tale of a medical school that likely never existed, and the haunting memory of a brutal crime that shocked the region in 1872. These narratives—distinct yet intertwined—have shaped the county’s folklore and historical identity. The Rise and Fall of […]
In October 1893, Celina, Ohio, became embroiled in a bizarre incident involving a letter allegedly containing smallpox scabs sent from Muncie, Indiana. The letter, addressed to Celina Marshal John Woods, stirred widespread alarm amid an active smallpox epidemic. This article examines the facts surrounding the incident, as reported in contemporary newspapers. The Smallpox Epidemic in […]
In the late 1910s, Celina, Ohio, emerged as an aviation hub with the Beam School of Aviation, founded by B. Ward Beam. The school trained pilots and conducted stunts, significantly contributing to World War I efforts. Despite a brief operation, its legacy endures, highlighting community pride and fostering diverse aviation careers.
