An enterprise which will mean much for Delphos is about to be consummated. Much talk has been heard in recent years of the possibilities of the Miami and Erie canal becoming a ship canal, and that large ocean-going steamers will pass through Delphos is now practically a settled fact.

The intention is to use the canal from Toledo to Cincinnati as a ship canal by deepening and widening the stream, making it 25 feet deep and 166 feet wide. It is said that while nothing to that effect has been given out, the dredging which is now being done on the canal between Delphos and St. Marys is only part of a plan for more extensive work to be done in the future, but for some reason those who have the work in charge for the state and nation had been instructed not to inform the people of the real object of the work.

It is also understood that large docks will be built here, either at Second or Third St., and that Delphos will be made a distribution point for large quantities of freight intended for the west, the same being transferred from boats here to the Pennsylvania and Clover Leaf railroads.

The widening of the canal will naturally have some affect upon the business section of Delphos, but no information as to the additional space required will be taken from the east side or the west side of the canal. However, it is safe to say that no businessman will begrudge any amount of space required.

Delphos Herald — Apr. 2, 1913

Mrs. Betty Krutsch, West Fifth Street, will observe her 87th birthday on Aug. 7. Mrs. Krutsch is well and active and does all her own housework.

Mrs. Krutsch was born Aug. 7, 1852, the daughter of Amassa and Mary Cline, on what was known as the old March farm near Venedocia.

The aged Delphos lady remembers distinctly of attending a Lincoln for president rally which was held in Lima. She states that a number of Delphos residents formed a party and made the trip to Lima in farm wagons.

She tells of watching the digging of the old Miami-Erie Canal, and was one of the interesting spectators who watched the first steam train travel through Delphos.

Mrs. Krutsch’s brother, Jim Clime, built many homes in the city and because of his many activities Clime Street was named in his honor.

Delphos Herald — Aug. 5, 1939

New Pleasure Boat — "Marguerite"

Frank Brown, Frank Alexander, F.O. Brotherton, A.L. Fisher, G.W. Leasure and M.V. Lonsworth have purchased the pleasure boat, "Marguerite," from a club at Sidney. The craft is built on the house boat plan and will be used by the above named gentlemen and their wives for pleasure trips. It will be brought to Delphos in a few days. The boat will make its first trip, Nov. 9, when the owners will go down the canal to hunt quail.

Delphos Herald — 1903

Building a Steel Boat

Jos. Burger and Ben Hotz, two of the workmen at Burger Bros. machine shop, are putting in their spare time working on an all-steel boat. Thin plate steel is being used instead of the usual timber. The boat is 20 feet long and is calculated to carry quite a number of passengers. A 2 horsepower gas engine will furnish motive power to the screw. When the boat is completed with a convenient cover to ward off the sun, the boys will be enabled to make long trips on the canal or take small parties out for an evening of a pleasure ride.

Delphos Herald — July 1895

Canal Boat "Columbine"

Al. and O.D. Shumaker are engaged in the work of demolishing the canal freight boat, "Columbine," owned by Capt. Chris. Booth. This craft has been laying idle in the canal at Ninth Street, partially submerged in the water.

This boat has quite an interesting history. She was built for service on the Ohio canal 35 years ago, and nearly 30 years ago was brought to the Miami and Erie Canal. She was owned for 18 years by Chas. Mandary, now living 6 miles north of Ottoville. The freighter was sold to Chris. Booth 10 years ago, and up to 2 years ago was used for hauling grain from Delphos and Ottoville elevators to the Toledo Market.

Capt. Booth has been in the canal boating business for 41 years. All efforts to dispose of the craft were unavailing, and it was finally decided to break her up and remove the timbers from the canal bed.

The breaking up of the "Columbine" probably removes from service on the canal, the last of the former big fleet of freight boats plying between New Bremen and Toledo.

From Delphos Herald — Sept. 22, 1908

Town Can Have State Land For Street Use

Mayor Williams read to Council a letter received from the engineer of the Canal Land Dept., at Columbus stating that the request for the use of state land, under lease by Dolbey & Morton, is granted for street purposes by the Board of Public Works, good for 15 years, at an annual rental of $15. The town seeks the use of land just east of the engine room of the mill between Third and Fourth streets to take the "jog" out of Canal Street.

Delphos Herald — Sept. 23, 1908

A wagon has been at Grothouse’s blacksmith shop for several days for repairs. The rear wheels are 10 feet high, while the front wheels are only 3 1/2 feet. So many questions are asked as to what it is used for, that we will settle the matter by explaining that it belongs to Louis Boehmer, and is used for hauling logs to his Ft. Jennings log yard. The log is suspended by chains from the rear axle.

Delphos Herald — 1895

Lee Davis and assistants were erecting a boiler and pump at the Clover Leaf bridge over Jennings Creek near the Fisher stone quarry where the creek water is being used to supply engines. A 4-inch pipe was laid from the pump to a temporary stand. There is quite a deep hole under the bridge, and as the stream has fair supply of water, it is likely that the company will be able to tide over the dry conditions until the canal levels have been refilled.

Four oil tank cars are being used to transport water to the Clover Leaf shops to supply the stationary boiler, which supplies water for locomotives at night, saving them the necessity of running to the creek.

Delphos Herald — Nov. 5, 1908

New Delphos Mfg. Co.

The Can Company people are having plans made for a new building which is to be erected along the Penns. Company tracks, on Pierce St. When the company is installed in their new plant the capacity will be greatly enlarged. The demand for the product is gradually on the increase, and if they wish to keep pace with the requisites they must get larger quarters. Manager Leilich intends getting rapid machinery for the making of cans, and when they are in their new quarters the plant will be a fine industry for Delphos. Since the invoice and the analysis of the business of the year 1903, and the outlook for new business, the Can Company stockholders are cheered, and they are a unit with the manager, H.L. Leilich, for new quarters and greater capacity.

Delphos Herald — 1904

More New Delphos Mfg. Co.

Undeterred by the fact that the buildings are already erected, the new galvanizing plant in course of construction and the office building planned takes up about all the ground space, the management is considering the erection of another large building on their ground. The novel plan of arching over Flat Fork Creek, which passes through a corner of the ground is so favorable considered that the company obtained permission from the Allen Co. Commissioners to erect a large building over that stream by constructing an arch, so the water may flow unhindered beneath the building.

The County Commissioners also stated that they intend to construct an arch bridge on East First St, replacing the old wooden bridge now existing there. When work is completed, Flat Fork will be covered from the west side of Pierce St. to the north side of First St.

The plans are now being prepared for the company’s new office building, corner of First and Pierce St. The new building would mean that about 100 more men will be added to the present work force of almost 300. The new buildings now going up and the enlargement of the plant will enable the company to increase the output of galvanized iron to 400 tons each week.

Delphos Herald — Oct. 16, 1908

1907 Pope — Toledo Auto Burned

In the fire that destroyed the plant of the Buehler Machine Co., at St. Marys Tuesday night, in which a press owned by Swink Printing Press Co. of Delphos was ruined, three automobiles were also burned. For the most part, the business of the Buehler plant was the repair of autos. One of the three machines was the property of Schulien & Roth, of Ottoville, a seven passenger Pope — Toledo Car, 1907 model, valued at $3,000.

Delphos Herald — Oct. 22, 1908

Car Caught In Ozark Treshet

The latest word received from Syl. Schmelzer and Fred Hempfling Jr., the two boys who are on their way to the coast in an auto at the present time, tells of an interesting and not very pleasant experience which they had in the Ozarks in Missouri.

It appears that while fording a stream, the machine became mired while at the same time the stream began to rise rapidly. Seeing that they would be unable to proceed, the boys carried their luggage to shore. They stated that within 30 minutes the machine was no longer visible being entirely submerged.

On the succeeding day it was hauled out of the bed of the run by two teams of horses. It was necessary to take the entire machine apart to clean it, all parts being clogged with sand.

It is thought that the boys are now in the state of Oklahoma.

Delphos Herald

Future Travel

A prominent automobile manufacturer says that within 10 years the idle rich will be indulging in airship travel and aerial navigation with planes propelled by gasoline motors, and the automobile will have been relegated to a strictly utilitarian position. This is encouraging, for under such a change in conditions the common people, who must travel on foot, will not have their lives constantly menaced by brainless idiots who drive through the streets at terrific speed in big automobiles bought with the money papa made by hard work.

Delphos Herald — Oct. 16, 1908

Civil War Connection

Older citizens of the community will recall the time during the Civil War and after when the manufacture of gun stocks was a flourishing industry in the community. Without exception the stocks were made of walnut, of which there was such an abundance that was burned in fireplaces and sometimes where clearings were made, it was actually burned in heaps. Some of the older citizens will recall that at that time, walnut gun stocks were cut in the rough, (The Canal Commission Museum has one) brought around 15 cents each. The writer, (J.H. Wahmhoff) recalls that one of his ancestors told him that he finished gun stocks on the farm after working hours, and sold them for 25 cents each to dealers. The raw material for making a stock at present could not be purchased for what several finished products were sold for at that time.

Mr. Wahmhoff, although a lad at the time, recalls that the old mill was a warehouse full of gun stocks, estimated to be several car loads.

Another display in the window of the Wahmhoff drug store is a "hardtack" biscuit, presented to a local man by F.J. Miller of Massachusetts National Guard, who passed through this city with other troops recently. The biscuit is one similar to those furnished in the earlier wars of the country, and they were so made that when soaked in cold water they will swell to the size of an ordinary biscuit from a thickness of about a quarter of an inch. It is to be hoped that lads who have gone to Mexico will not be a severe blow to stomachs accustomed to sweeter and more delectable things.

Delphos Herald — July 6, 1916

A New Game 
 Basket Ball Had A 3 Point Goal Back In 1895

Basket ball is a game that is the rage now. The end aim of the game is to toss a ball, which is the size of a small football, into one of the two larger baskets suspended at either end of the field. The winning side is the one which lands the ball in the opponents basket. The basket is placed about ten feet high. When the game is played in a gymnasium, the basket is bracketed to the side of the wall. No pushing, tripping, shouldering, is allowed. The score is counted by points. A majority of points decides the game. A goal counts 3 points, a foul one point.

Delphos Herald — 1895

Edison’s First Invention

Young Edison’s first invention was thought out when Mr. Edison earned his daily bread operating the Boston-New York night wire of what is now the Western Union Telegraph Company. The pay was not very large, but the work was so light that New York, in order to make sure that the man on the other end of the wire was attending to business, arranged for him to call up every hour after midnight, give his official call and sign it, it being argued that this would keep him awake. It did keep him awake for a few weeks. Then he set about utilizing his spare time on a device which would beat the "smart ones" who ruled the New York office.

The result was an arrangement of a battery with a clock and a circuit breaking instrument, which at the proper time would give New York the looked for signals. For weeks it was the marvel of Mr. Edison’s friends that he got along on so little sleep. Then the denouncement came in the form of a call from New York with a very important message. Though Boston had signaled but a few moments before, it was found impossible to "raise" that city. Nearly an hour later the New York operator was pounding away, when the circuit was opened and the sounder gave off "Bn. Ed. O.K." Immediately the call for Boston was renewed, but no answer came for an hour, when the magic signal was again repeated. All night long the wire was watched, and when morning came, the manager at Boston was asked to explain the mystery.

The manager, a canny Scot, without saying a word to anybody, examined the clock in Edison’s locker, finding there the telltale wires and mechanism. That night, when the future wizard showed up for work, he found that the manager had decided to give him "30" — which in telegrapher talk spells discharged.

Edison knew well enough what he was discharged for, and so left the next day for New York, and the career which has since made his name a household word the world over.

Delphos Herald — 1906

At Interest For 100 Years

One hundred years ago, Ben Franklin left a fund of $5,000 which he directed should be put at interest and left to accumulate for a century. When that time had come around, according to the directions of the philanthropist, half of the money thus accumulated, should go to some good public purpose for the people of Boston. The other half was to be put aside for another century, at which time the state and the city should be equal partners in the fund. Now, arising from the $5,000, there is an aggregate of $700,000, half of which the trustees will use to build and equip an industrial training school, one of the best uses to which the money can be put.

Delphos Herald — March 1895

Compiled by Robert Holdgreve
Delphos Historical Society

April 17, 2004 Delphos Herald Newspaper