south  side  of  the  square  and  Mr.  McDonough  was  completing  a  two  story
hotel.  A  dance  had  been  held  as  an  opening  celebration,  when,  on  May
30th  a  tornado  swept  south of  town  leaving destruction  in 
its  wake and killing members  of  the  Krone family.  On  June  10th another
tornado struck the  town  in  the early  evening and  five minutes  later,  the
town had lost
33  buildings--among  them  the  McDonough  Hotel  and  the  Burr
building.  The printing  office was  demolished and  the paper was  printed
after the storm on a pile of boards that had been in the office.

The next five years saw the first elevator in the town. The  railroad
came through;  the Opera House was  built by Mr.  Billings,  who
also raised the  money  for  the  Opera  House.  It  was  a  spacious,  high 
ceiling,  frame building  erected in four rnonths at a cost of $2,600.  Scenery
cost $285.00 and the 250 chairs cost $8.00 per dozen.                   

By
George Strickler


A Collection of Centennial Memories

When   I  was  a  little girl,  it  was  always  a great  treat 
to come totown.  We  lived on  a homestead  ten miles northeast of Delphos.
My father, Del  Corning,  filed  the  papers  for  the  farm  in  1878  and 
I  was  born  in1876. I  have  seen  the  Delphos  Square when  you were  afraid 
to  stop  your horses  for  fear  of  being  stuck  in  the mud,  and when you
started up,  youvere  sure  to  break  a  double  tree  or  the harness.  I  have
also  seen  itso dusty you could not see across the street.

At  the  time of the Indian raid,  my Dad rode his pony to the nearest
telegraph  offrice,  woke  the  operator, and  sent  a message 
to  the  Governor for help  for  the  settlers.  Troops  came  the next  day  in 
box  cars to the end of the road, with horses and supplies and went from there on
horseback to aid in the search for Mrs. Morgan and Miss White.

There  was  the  old  mill  that  was  very  important.  You 
could  take  a sack of corn or one sack of wheat or a wagon full and sit and
wait while  They  ground  it  for  you.  If  you  did  not  have  any money, 
they would keep the shorts and bran and, I expect, some flour to pay for the
grinding.
As  I  remember,  the  old  merchants  were  really  your  friends.  Some
of  them  were.  Tom  Donnigan,  Percy  Hull.  Jimmy  Clark  and 
his  good wife, and  Arenn  Burr.  Jimmy  Ray;s  dime store was  the children's 
favorite  with someone helping the kids with what to buy with their pennies.
By Bessie Corning Rolph

(note     The  above  was  contributed  by  Bessie  Ballou,  as 
it was  written,,, Bessie Corning Rolph when she was 90 years of age.)



HOME

TOWNS