Things you didn’t know about your own hometown
By Lee Crouse
• September 1,1909 Petition to have Mill Street changed to Lincoln and another petition changing Hooser to Highland. Normal Street changed to College. Margaret Street had been changed to Main Street before 1904. Williams on one side of Main and Peach on the other were changed to University.
• August 1909 post master Elliott proposed to city council that the numbering of houses and businesses be made so Ada would qualify for free mail delivery. At this same meeting the division of north and south was made the railroad being the division line. Engineer Maglott was authorized to draw a map showing the location of sewers.
• October 19, 1948 for the first time in the 87 years since it was incorporated, the town of Ada has automatic traffic control. The traffic lights, located at the intersections of Main Street with Dobbins Avenue and Highland Avenues, were turned on at 4:00 p.m. Tuesday. Installed at a cost of $1,200 to the town, they will operated as three-way signals from 6:00 a.m. to 12 midnight, and as flashing amber warning lights from midnight to 6:00 a.m
• January 17, 1950 O-K Manufacturing Company received a patent from the United States Patent office patent No. 2,495, 079 on a “game ball” to William A. Sonnett and William J. Sonnett, both of Ada. The invention pertains to inflatable basket-balls, footballs, volleyballs and the like which, in the general construction, consist of a molded flexible carcass or bladder, made of alternate layers of rubber and fabric, to which a leather or similar covering is adhesively attached.
