By Monty Siekerman
The newly-formed Ada Historical Society met for the fourth time on Monday evening at the Ada Public Library.

Two new members of the organizing committee attended, bringing to 17 the number of residents who are interested in forming the Society to preserve local history.

The next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 8, at the library. All those interested in Ada/Liberty Township history are invited to attend.

Photo: Holding a large picture of Ada founder S.M. Johnson are (from left) Don Traxler, Ruth Roider, Jon Umphress, Jenny Grant, John Berg, Lee Crouse, Rich Meininger, Harold Friesner, Rhett Grant, and Karen Ward.

Ada was first named Johnstown, after the founder, but since there was another town in Ohio by that name, the village became Ada, named after the postmaster's daughter. S.M. Johnson, who began a sawmill here, plated the town in 1853.

The town sprang to life with the mill and the railroad going through in 1854. Johnson moved to Lima in 1867 and died in 1884.