At the time Delphos came into existence, most families didn’t have money to spend on store-bought clothing and linens, but had to depend on their own expertise with a needle and some thread to make such items for their households. It was a very tedious and time-consuming chore. But that all changed with the invention [...]
If you were born before 1960, you probably remember going to a shoe store as a child and having your feet x-rayed with a fluoroscope. You would try on a new pair of shoes, stick your feet in the opening at the bottom of the unit, and while you were looking through a porthole on [...]
This year marks the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War. Probably the most well-known local persons associated with the war were the young drummer boy Avery Brown and Captain Rudolph Ruel who organized a company made up entirely of Delphos men. But there are many more names listed in local history books and many [...]
For many years, most of the artifacts that were a part of the Delphos Historical Society Museum on the second floor of the Old Commercial Bank Building remained unseen, the only access to them being from a Third Street door. But all that has changed. As part of our recent expansion/renovation, we put a [...]
Canal Days is fast approaching and one of the events that draws a lot of people is the waterball contest. Area firefighters come together to participate in a wet game of “who can get the ball across the opponents line”. If you have never experIenced this event, you need to check it out this year. [...]
Admiral Byrd’s Snow Cruiser The Lincoln Highway Buy-Way sale is over for another year, but the highway itself continues to draw “roadies” who like to travel at a much slower pace and enjoy the scenery. In fact, the Lincoln Highway Association has over 1,000 members from 39 states as well as 6 other countries. Each [...]
Recently, while cleaning out a room in the old Commercial Bank Building part of the Canal Museum, we discovered a letter dated April 5, 1938, addressed to the Delphos Can Company from a 13 year old boy in Alabama. Seems his grandmother had an oil can and liked the name that was on the label [...]
One of the most popular displays at the Canal Museum is the Bridal Display which features dresses from the 1890’s through the 1950’s. Although they are beautiful to look at, they also reflect the changes and events of our society. Early weddings in America were generally private affairs, held at the home of the parents [...]
When America was threatened by war, we used every means possible to encourage support of the war effort by all Americans. During World War II, Hollywood made patriotic movies and newsreels, victory gardens were planted, war bonds were issued and men and women were recruited to join the military. Housewives and mothers were coaxed into [...]
A magnificent example of the talent and ability of the hardy German immigrants who settled Delphos is this 6 ½ feet high walnut cabinet handcrafted by one of the founding pioneers of Delphos, J. Casper Pohlman. The fact that he carved he and his wife’s names across the top shows the workmanship and pride he [...]