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Crouse Implement sold Oliver and New Idea farm equipment

Posted by Fred Steiner on Monday, June 15, 2020

Crouse Implement Store was located on State Rout 81, 2 1/2  miles east of Ada. This photo is from the 1953 Ada Centennial book.

The photo was in an advertisement for the business, which sold Oliver and New Idea farm equipment. The business started in 1931.

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Remember the Ada Dairy on South Main?

Posted by Fred Steiner on Tuesday, June 9, 2020

What do you remember about the Ada Dairy? The business was located at 309 S. Main St., across the street and near 302 Carry-Out. A popular hangout for college and high school students, it offered ice cream "concoctions," from its fountain service.

It also sold pasteurized daily products including cottage cheese, milk and butter. In 1953 its phone number was 164, according to its advertisement in the Ada Community Centennial book.

The Icon welcomes viewer comments.

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It's Ada in the first decade of 1900

Posted by Fred Steiner on Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Here's a colorized post card of Ada from the first decade of 1900. The post card identifies its location as South Main Street by moonlight. 

It is possible that the two buildings on the right are part of the Ohio Northern University campus?

Tom Lehman of Ada responds: The old photo of Ada this week is the corner of South Main and University. That is the Brown Building on the corner. In the background behind it you can see the front of the Duke Building which is still standing. They tore down the Brown Building in the 1970s, I believe.

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Ada before Henry Ford

Posted by Fred Steiner on Monday, May 18, 2020

North Main Street Ada before motorized vehicles arrived - with comparision photos of 2020.

Here's an 1890s-era photograph of Ada looking north on Main Street. We've provided some building close up comparisons from today to show that many similiarities remain.

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Ada's Brewer Block

Posted by Fred Steiner on Monday, May 11, 2020

When this photo above was taken, the stately Brewer Block on Ada's Main Street was home to the Ada post office. The street was bricked, the Pennsylvania Railroad had a double track through town, street lights were relatively new, windows were more expansive and a taller building stood where Cole's car lot is located today.

Compare the earlier photo with the 2020 version below. The building has remainly relatively unchanged over the many decades since the top photo was taken. 

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Beaverdam tile factory early 1900s

Posted by Fred Steiner on Monday, May 4, 2020

Ada had a tile factory and so did neighboring Beaverdam. Here's a rare photograph of the Beaverdam factory at the turn of an earlier century.

 Although the exact location is not known, the business operate in the early 1900s. Will Triplettt, pioneer Bluffton photographer, took the photo. It was originally on an 8.5 by 11 glass negative.

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