These Lost Photos are Needed to Tell County’s Story

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BICENTENNIAL PHOTO OF THE WEEK – Previously unknown images, such as the railroad photo above, probably exist in forgotten albums and drawers. Do you have one to share? Area resident John Mathews has submitted this photo and information from his cousin’s father, Junior Gilbert, who once lived around Tipton. The photo is said to show the train removing the railroad tracks of the Findlay, Fort Wayne & Western Railroad. Written on the back is “And that was the end of Tipton.” Photos, slides and other images from all decades in Paulding County are wanted for an upcoming bicentennial history book.

Time is growing short to preorder books and submit photos for Paulding County, Ohio: A Pictorial History Volume III, which is planned for publication by the John Paulding Historical Society in November.

The book committee has been calling for images covering every decade of the past 200 years to help celebrate Paulding County’s bicentennial this year. The deadline will be June 30.

Although every image tells a story and is important to our history, the committee members have a list of “most wanted” images they hope will be uncovered, like buried treasure, for this important new book. Do you have pictures of these:

• Paulding County Fair – buildings, grandstands, events, judging, exhibitors, games & concessions, buggies/cars

• County celebrations in 1939, 1970 and 1976

• Vanished towns (ghost towns)

• Early communities (Charloe, New Rochester, Junction, Fort Brown)

• Interiors of buildings, stores and homes

• People at work

• Recreation (movie theaters, skating rinks, boating, hunting, parks, bowling, baseball, picnics, etc.).

• Reservoir War participants

• Disasters (floods, tornadoes, train wrecks, fires, blizzards, storms, droughts, derecho and other calamities)

• Present Courthouse – construction photos (1886-1888) and interior photos (before 1980)

• The first two courthouses in Paulding

• The courthouse and jail in Charloe

• Covered bridges and old wooden and iron bridges

• Early industries

• Drive-in restaurants

• Early pioneers and their homesteads

• Canal locks, aqueducts, boats and other scenes

• Old Paulding County Memorial Hospital

• Horatio N. Curtis house/trading post near New Rochester

• Old Paulding County Home

• Railroads, trains and depots

• Maumee and Auglaize rivers

• Landmarks, such as the Lone Tower at Cecil and the sulphur fountain at Payne

• Cemeteries

• Grange buildings and groups

• The inside of the Paulding movie theater

• Junction during canal operations

• The Paulding square prior to the courthouse in 1886

• Former occupations, such as blacksmith, milk man, ice man, ice cutter, cooper, drayman, switchboard operator, lamplighter, pinsetter, telegraph operator, typesetter, milliner, stenographer.

General topics are agriculture and farm life, buildings and homes, businesses and industries, churches, disasters, organizations and clubs, events and activities, military and veterans, families and people, schools and transportation.

Images needed include photographs, snapshots, slides, drawings, maps, paintings, still images from movies or video, and printed memorabilia such as programs and posters.

Current and former residents are encouraged to submit photos to help document the people and places in every community in the county. Help preserve memories for future generations. The name of the person submitting a photo will be included in the photo caption.

Images may be color or black-and-white. Individuals may scan their photos and email them as an attachment to Kim Sutton at dkmax@windstream.net, Bob Iler at ethanm@twc.com or Melinda Krick at tmekrick@yahoo.com. For details and guidelines about scanning images, visit facebook.com/jphsmuseum or facebook.com/PauldingCounty200. Appointments can be made to have photos scanned at the museum by emailing dkmax@windstream.net.

More than 130 books already have been preordered. To reserve a copy today, visit the museum’s Facebook page at facebook.com/jphs museum.

Also, consider purchasing a Patron Page – full or half, black & white or color – to spotlight a family, business, church or organization. Email Sutton for more information.