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Forward thinking florist in 1923

Posted by Paula Scott on Thursday, March 30, 2023

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/

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What's playing at Ada's theater?

Posted by Staff on Sunday, March 5, 2023

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.

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Artifact hunter hosted by Ada Historical Society on March 4

Posted by Paula Scott on Tuesday, February 28, 2023

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.

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Ada homes, past and present

Posted by Staff on Thursday, February 2, 2023

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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What were your high school ambitions, favorite song, best known for?

Posted by Paula Scott on Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Okay graduates, here's a challenge. When you said goodbye to high school, what was your ambition (in five words or less). Your favorite song? What would you have been best known for among your classmates?

The attached "Senior Feature" from the Ada High School yearbook of 1947 provides us with an interesting range of answers. (Easier to read PDF HERE.)

Here's random sampling of:

AMBITIONS
"Be happy in old age"

"Dress designer"

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What was the mystery animal of 1956?

Posted by Staff on Tuesday, November 29, 2022

By Fred Steiner

In late November 1956 – actually this week 66 years ago, the major topic of residents of  the LaFayette and Bluffton area was of a mysterious animal that “cried like a baby and screamed like a woman.”

A front page story in the Bluffton New described the circumstances surrounding this mystery. 

Before you read about the 1956 mystery animal remember to watch Bluffton Forever next week for a story from 1958 about another mystery animal that appeared in the Bluffton rural community. 

The story from the Nov. 29, 1956, Bluffton News follows: 

Head: Cry’s like a baby, screams like a woman 

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