Once upon a time in Ada
Things you didn’t know about your own hometown
By Lee Crouse [email protected]
Ada's First
• April 11, 1853 - the first train traveled through Ada.
• 1855 - Albert Wylie was the first physician at Ada.
• 1861 - Ada was incorporated with Horace J. Gilbert first mayor.
• 1866 - H.S. Lehr was the first Ada public school superintendent and served until 1871 when his “select school” had grown and claimed all of his time.
Do you remember these holiday lights in downtown Ada at Christmas time?
This photo shows Ada's Main Street 60 years ago, in 1956. The photo is unusual in at least two respects. It's a nighttime shot of Ada. And, it's a winter scene. Most older photos of Ada that we've seen are spring-summer-fall and daylight scenes.
There are plenty of American-made V-8 gas hogs on the street as we notice a couple Buicks, a Ford and maybe an Oldsmobile.
Other observations of this photo are welcome from Icon viewers: [email protected].
Here's why a photograph is worth a thousand words. We invite you to study this bird's-eye view of Ada taken in 1953 and published in the souvenir program of th Ada centennial.
Fifteen buildings are identified on this aerial map and their legend to the 15 is on the map's bottom.
Once upon a time in Ada
Things you didn’t know about your own hometown
By Lee Crouse [email protected]
In1880 the Ada Community band was organized. Among members of the first band were “Squire” Lantz, Chris Young, Henry Young, William Young, M.V. Gilbert, Ed. Gilbert, Wesley Gilbert, Lem Linderman and George Loudenslager. The band celebrated their 55th anniversary in 1935.
