Our new model train display is up and running although it is still a work in progress. It was designed to depict the late 1940’s era so I thought it would be interesting to take a look at that time. World War II was over and most servicemen were home. After years of […]
A Little Bit of History
August 19, 2016 by 3 Comments
The Old Commercial Bank building stands proudly at the southwest corner of Main and Third. Built in 1912, it was patterned after the Flatiron Building in New York City and served as the Commercial Bank until the 1970’s. But there is more in its history. Using the 3rd Street entrance of the building, part […]
1896 in Delphos
July 19, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Looking through old newspapers for information about the early days of Delphos can become an obsessive experience or it can be very frustrating. It all depends on how much time you have on your hands and whether you like reading about what went on way back when. A recent foray into the newspaper archives for […]
That Personal Touch
May 22, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Almost every week something new (well, at least new to us) comes into the museum. Sometimes we are lucky enough to get the story behind the item which makes it more than just an item; it adds a human element to it and gives it much more meaning. Here are 3 examples: Joan Weger […]
Polio and the March of Dimes
April 2, 2016 by Leave a Comment
Few diseases frightened parents more in the first 6 decades of the 1900’s than polio. It usually struck in the hot summer months, attacking the nervous system and causing paralysis. No one understood how or why people got it, but children were the most frequently affected. Early treatments were limited to quarantines and the infamous […]
For the Record
November 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment
For people of a “certain age,” the little 7-inch vinyl record with the big center hole, also known as the 45, brings back memories of sock hops, juke boxes, and teen idols. It took a while to come on the scene, but when it did, the timing was perfect. The invention of Edison’s […]
Typewriters and Guns?
November 21, 2015 by Leave a Comment
What do typewriters and guns have in common? Nothing, you might say; however while researching the museum’s collection of typewriters I discovered an interesting connection not once but three times. Christopher Sholes invented the first commercially successful typewriter in 1869. His machine was manufactured by the Remington Typewriter Company, whose parent company was E. […]
The Filling Station
May 16, 2015 by Leave a Comment
In 1908, when Henry Ford began selling his Model T, the first car that the middle class could afford, it resulted in an increased demand for filling stations. At first the term “filling station” referred to the gas pump itself and could be found in front of various businesses such as general stores, mom & […]
Stories in Stone
April 17, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Take a walk through a cemetery and you’ll see rows and rows of grave markers with the names of the deceased along with the usual listing of the dates of their birth and death. But if you look a little closer those grave markers tell a much greater story than first meets the […]