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Historical Ada

About the "Help Vote Ohio Dry" banner

The Icon recently posted a photo asking, "What's that banner over Main St.?" (view at https://bit.ly/3qfRLpg). Initially, we were more interested in figuring what it said, rather than why the banner was there.

Here's the backstory according to www.Balletopedia.org/ : There was a 1919 Ohio State Prohibition of Alcohol Referendum that was defeated 500,812 votes to 474,078 votes.

1923 Interclass Competition details from the Ada High School yearbook

What has changed and what has stayed the same about the Ada High School Interclass Competition? Check out the details provided in the 1923 Purple and Gold yearbook HERE, via the Ada Public Library online archive.

Forward thinking florist in 1923

Approximately 100 years ago, Mohlers Flower Shop of Ada reminded readers of the Ada Record to "Say it with Flowers" and to mark their calendars for Easter.

Easter dates were provided through 1976.

The Icon peruses news from the past using the Ada Public Library's digital archives at http://ada.advantage-preservation.com/

What's playing at Ada's theater?

Former Ada Icon owner-editor Fred Steiner still has his eye on Ada, as this post for www.BlufftonForever.com reveals. 

By Fred Steiner

This isn’t Bluffton; it’s Ada, home of the Odeon movie theatre.

In case you wonder, Odeon is a word describing ancient Greek and Roman buildings built for singing, musical shows and poetry readings.

The photo, taken in 1939, shows a marquee announcing the Western comedy “Destry Rides Again,” staring Jimmy Stewart and Marlene Dietrich.

Artifact hunter hosted by Ada Historical Society on March 4

Like many other community groups, the Ada Historical Society (AHS) is on the rebound following something of a COVID drought in terms of activities and membership.

The AHS is hosting Brandon Place, an amateur artifact collector and history enthusiast, for a presentation at the historic Ada Train Depot,  at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday March 4. The free event is open to the public.

Ada homes, past and present

This is a plate from the 1902 publication "Ada and the O.N.U. The New and the Old" photo book selected by Dr. David Devier. 

Devier notes that three of the four houses are still standing in the community. The home built for ONU President Dr. Solomon Lehr burnt down many years ago.

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