Former Wooster resident Gene Hettel, who was employed at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center from 1973-80, wrote after receiving a copy of a recent column I wrote about the history of newspapers in Wooster that I had based on his research.
Now retired in Calamba, Philippines — after a 43-year career in journalism — Hettel was sent a copy of the column by Drew Kerr, a friend here in Wooster.
"If you check the Wooster Daily Record's archives," Hettel wrote, "you will see that, during the first week in late January 1980, the paper published a five-article series based on my study to commemorate its 60th anniversary at that time (1920-1980)." He went on to mention that The Daily Record will be celebrating its 100th anniversary in January 2020 ... one month from now.
Close call
Not long ago, Mike Franks shared a newspaper clipping about Wooster’s Charles Follis — the first documented black professional football player in the U.S. who was also a talented baseball player. The report appeared in the Aug. 31, 1909, edition of the Orrville Courier.
"Charles Follis, Wooster's famous ball player who is a member of the famous Cuban Giants, had a mighty close call to death at Atlantic City on Thursday. In full view of nearly 1,000 people, William Bedford, a negro of Cairo, Ill., and second baseman of the Cuban Giants baseball team, was instantly killed by lightning this afternoon at Inlet Park as he was poised for a throw during a practice before the game with Atlantic City. "The bolt struck the ground close to the player and ran through the spikes of his shoes and into his body. Walter Gordon, shortstop of the team, and Charles Follis, catcher, were knocked down by the shock but were uninjured."
Carpet tacks
In one of her columns, written in 1973, the late Daily Record columnist Elinor Taylor told of the 50th birthday celebration of Wooster Kiwanis service club ... which was chartered here on May 15, 1923.
"Because the Kiwanis theme is ‘We Build,’" wrote Taylor, "Ralph Kane from First Federal Bank provided little boxes of carpet tacks for each of the 350 people in attendance. Ralph told them, ‘If you’re wondering about the gift, I’ll explain. When you bought your ticket it said "$5, tax included." Well there are your tacks.’"
Donated land
During the mid-1850s, the Scottish-Irish Presbyterians of Ohio were concerned about the establishment of a Christian college in Ohio and many communities were bidding for the honor. Following a Session meeting, the Rev. James A. Reed, then pastor of the Wooster church, visited a member of his congregation, Ephraim Quinby, who agreed to donate 20 acres of land. It was an ideal spot for a college — a beautiful hilltop capped with oak trees overlooking the town and surrounding countryside. The beginning of the campaign to incorporate The University of Wooster began in 1866.
FYI
The handsome brick building that has been home to Murr Printing & Graphics since 1985 used to house Weitzel's Dry Cleaning. For many years community dances, service club meetings, receptions and the Bettene Winch School of Dance were held on the second floor.
Thought you should know.
Columnist Ann Gasbarre can be reached at agasbarre@gmail.com or 330-345-6419.