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Historical Ada

Once upon a time in Ada

Why has Ada never had a woman mayor?

By Leland Crouse
[email protected]
Excerpt from Small Town Sampler
Betty Miller
1 November, 1989 The Ada Herald

November is a month of politics. As the election returns determine the big city mayors and council winners, often they are women. Small towns in our area have women mayors and women on their town councils. Why has Ada never had a woman mayor? Why is Betty Elzay the first and only woman ever elected to council in our 136 year-history? I decided to go back in our town history and see if I could find some answers.

A flour mill on West Montford?

Yes, built in 1874; destroyed by fire in 1915

This article is one of several pieces on the village’s history and written by members of The Ada Historical Society.

By Paul Logsdon
Images below are from the ONU Archives or courtesy of the online newspapers from the Ada Public Library.

Ada City Mills, 1874 - 1915
The residents of West Montford Ave. might be surprised to know that one of Ada’s early major businesses was located on their street. 

The Ada City Mills (flour), built in 1874 by Joseph Ream & Son, was located on the corner of West Montford and Heistand St.

Once upon a time in Ada

Gabriel Reeder Hubbell

By Leland Crouse
[email protected]
Excerpt from the Small Town Sampler by Betty Miller
The Ada Herald 24 January, 1990

Gabriel Reeder Hubbell - 14 March, 1825 to 15 May, 1909
If you like adventure stories with Indian encounters and narrow escapes on the frontier, you don’t have to search for old “shoot-em-up” movies or books about the West of long ago. You can find a better story in our local history, and all of it really happened.

St. Mark Lutheran youth choir 1989

Here's members of the St. Mark Lutheran youth choir in 1989.

Front from left, Ellen Peterson, Hilary Riggs, Amanda Plaugher, Susanna Lehman, Jessica Smith and Megan Gossman.

Center row from left, Regina Koons, Liza McVicker, Matt Gossman, Viola Warner, Sam Peterson.

Back from left, Julia Shull, director, Adam Vaubel, Becky Gossman, Jacob Lehman, Kara McVicker, Gail Epley, Isaac Seagrave. Absent Rebecca Kimmell.

(From the collection of Leland Crouse)

Once upon a time in Ada

Seven generations of Shanks in rural Ada

By Leland Crouse
[email protected]
Borrowed from Small Town Sampler
Betty Miller, August 30, 1989

Thomas Shanks
In 157 years most of the early farms in Liberty Township have changed owners. A few, however, have been passed down through the generations, and descendants of some of the early settlers still grow crops on the land their ancestors cleared. One of these farms is owned by Bob and Anna Mary Shanks on County Road 65. At some time in their lives, seven generations of the Shanks family have called this home.

Junior class officers 31 school years ago

Eric Turner, Tony Boutwell, Ken Williams and Shaun MacEachen were class officers of the Ada High School junior class during the 1987-88 school year.

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