Friday, July 31, 2009

William Quantrill

July 31, 1837 – William Quantrill is born in Dover. He moved to Missouri and led the massacre of 200 men and boys in the Civil War pillage of Lawrence, Kansas. The raid came after a makeshift jail collapsed and killed sisters and wives of Rebels. Quantrill’s remains were dug up by a friend and taken to Dover. His skull ended up at a Kent State University fraternity. A wax replica is now in a fridge near the J.E. Reeves museum in Dover.
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Thursday, July 30, 2009

Joe Nuxhall

July 30, 1928 - Joe Nuxhall is born in Hamilton. He took a liking to baseball and when he was 15-years-old became the youngest player to appear in a modern Major League Baseball game when he pitched 2/3 of an inning.
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Kenneth “Babyface” Edmunds

July 29, 1978 – Kenneth “Babyface” Edmunds hangs out around a Cincinnati recording studio, begging people to record him. He creates his own band, The Deele, and after playing and writing for Midnight Star, Edmunds focuses on songwriting. He would pen hits like Madonna’s Take a Bow, Exhale (Shoop, Shoop) for Whitney Houston, Change the World with Eric Clapton and win three consecutive Grammy Awards from 1995-1997.
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Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Fascinating Ohio

DAILY DOUBLE July 28, 1982: Comedian Joe E. Brown dies. Born in Holgate, Brown’s best role came in Some Like It Hot, when he responds “Well, nobody’s perfect” when the woman of his dreams, played by Jack Lemmon, reveals herself a man in disguise. July 28, 1979 – Richard Affolter, New Philadelphia, lands a monster at Clendening Lake: a 76.5 pound Flathead Catfish. At 59 5/8 inches long, it's the biggest fish ever caught in Ohio.

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Monday, July 27, 2009

Garrett Morgan

July 27, 1963: Garrett Morgan, the inventor of the traffic light, dies. The Cleveland resident had to have a white partner sell another invention, a safety hood and smoke protector, because some people wouldn’t buy the device from an African-American.

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Sunday, July 26, 2009

Combat gliders

WACO Field and Aircraft Museum in Troy is dedicated to history of combat gliders. By late 1944, the Americans had built more than 14,000 gliders. Silent and loaded with troops, they were used in the invasion of Sicily, the D-Day assault on German troops in France on June 6, 1944, as well as other operations during World War II.
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Saturday, July 25, 2009

Holiday Hysell

July 25, 1863 - Chester – Unarmed Holiday Hysell, 70, turns out to watch Morgan’s Raiders pass through town. Holiday can't help himself. His Buckeye razz “Huzzah for the Union,” ends with a Rebel rider pulling his gun and sending good old Holiday, who always spoke his mind, right into the hereafter. May you rest in peace, Holiday.
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Friday, July 24, 2009

Fred Arbogast

It’s a good day to go fishing or think about fishing. Akronite and fishing lure mogul Fred Arbogast, developer of the Jitterbug and Hula Popper, thought about fishing a lot. He once held the world’s long-distance casting record of 250 feet. He built his company from his house at 313 W. North St.
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Thursday, July 23, 2009

500 Porsches

About this time each year, Oxford holds its annual Porsches 2 Oxford cruise-in with as many as 500 Porsche owners riding through town to Hueston Woods State Park. For more information and to confirm the date, always toward the end of July, see www.porsches2oxford.com
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Wednesday, July 22, 2009

The Cuyahoga River catches fire

DAILY DOUBLE July 21, 2003 – At 2.03 pounds and 12 ¼ inches long, the hybrid sunfish caught by Ray Durham of Oak Hill from a Campaign County farm pond is a state record. June 22, 1969 - The Cuyahoga River catches fire. Although the river had caught fire nine other times - the first time being in 1868 - this five-story blaze drew national attention to polluted Ohio's waterways.
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Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Fascinating Ohio

July 21, 1934 – State record temperature of 131 set near Gallipolis, and in 2001, Fremont’s James S. Williams decides to go fishing on the Sandusky River, which runs right through town. He catches a 23.5 pound Drum, also known as a Sheepshead, that is 37 1/8 inches long and brings Williams a state record.
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Monday, July 20, 2009

Grandma’s cuckoo clock

It was once the world’s largest cuckoo clock but no more. Still, it’s something to behold. Built atop a restaurant/tourist stop called Grandma’s Alpine Homestead at 1504 Us Route 62, Wilmot, the clock has little plaster people who used to move in and out of their cuckoo-house.
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Sunday, July 19, 2009

The battle of Buffington Island

July 19, 1863: The only major battle of the Civil War fought in Ohio occurs on Buffington Island in Meigs County. Confederate Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan had crossed the Ohio River 11 days earlier with 2,000 mounted men and then moved east across the southern end of the state, terrorizing most everybody. Nearly 150 men were wounded or killed in the battle, with 800 to 1,200 Rebels taken prisoner.
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Saturday, July 18, 2009

John Glenn

July 18, 1921 – God speed, John Glenn. Born in on this day in Cambridge, Glenn would "pilot" the Mercury-Atlas 6 "Friendship 7" spacecraft on the first U.S. manned orbital mission.

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Friday, July 17, 2009

Santa Maria

Columbus is the home of the Santa Maria replica, a museum-quality ship moored on the Scioto River at Battelle Riverfront Park (614-645-8760). Now you’ll know how bad the crew had it back in those days when Christopher Columbus sailed the deep blue sea (or was it the ocean blue?).
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Thursday, July 16, 2009

John Glenn

July 16, 1957 – Pilot John Glenn sets coast-to-coast record of 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8.4 seconds in a Vought F8U-1 Crusader. While passing over New Concord, he dipped low enough to rattle and break windows all over town from the resulting sonic boom - a gesture that Glenn would later regret because having to replace all those windows really annoyed the town. But it did make the local hardware store owner very, very happy.
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Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Satchel Paige

July 15, 1948 – Satchel Paige becomes the first African-American pitcher in the Major Leagues to get a win – 8-5 against the Philadelphia Athletics. Paige ended the year with 21 appearances and a 6-1 record with a 2.48 ERA, 2 shutouts, 43 strikeouts, 22 walks and 61 base hits allowed in 72 2/3 innings. The Indians win the World Series in 1948.
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Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Ohio Governor’s Residence

July 14 – Take a tour of the Ohio Governor’s Residence (614-644-7644) at 358 Parkview Ave. but you will need at least a group of 10 and more than a little wonder at the political will of all those men who occupied this mansion over time.
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Monday, July 13, 2009

Albert Ayler

July 13, 1936 – Albert Ayler is born in Cleveland Heights, learns to play oboe in high school, switches to saxophone, jams with harmonica player Little Walter and ends up in Sweden with a radio show. Wow. He returns to New York City where his sax style brings him cult status as a jazzman for the ages. He died in the icy waters of the East River, where he was found floating in 1970 after he jumped from the Statue of Liberty ferry.
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Sunday, July 12, 2009

Samuel "Golden Rule" Jones

July 12, 1904 - Toledo's best mayor, Samuel "Golden Rule" Jones, dies in his second term. The millionaire manufacturer, who sometimes stood on his head to preach Christian brotherhood, instituted a "Golden Rule" in his factories and gave workers higher pay and more leisure time. At his Gold Rule Park, a Golden Rule Band played. Jones humanized conditions for the poor, took away police nightsticks and wanted the public to own utilities.
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Samuel "Golden Rule" Jones

July 12, 1904 - Toledo's best mayor, Samuel "Golden Rule" Jones, dies in his second term. The millionaire manufacturer, who sometimes stood on his head to preach Christian brotherhood, instituted a "Golden Rule" in his factories and gave workers higher pay and more leisure time. At his Gold Rule Park, a Golden Rule Band played. Jones humanized conditions for the poor, took away police nightsticks and wanted the public to own utilities.
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Saturday, July 11, 2009

Rugrats

July 11, 1952 – Bob Mothersbaugh is born in Akron. He would become the lead vocalist and guitarist for Devo and through his music production company, Mutato Muzika, produce tunes for the TV cartoon show The Rugrats.
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Friday, July 10, 2009

Rascal Flatts

July 10, 1970 – Gary Wayne Vernon Jr. is born in Columbus. He would change his name to Gary LeVox, move to Nashville and become lead vocalist for Rascal Flatts. His name means, literally, "Gary the Voice." He is a graduate of Olentangy High School and the Ohio State University.
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Thursday, July 9, 2009

100 runs

July 9, 1859 – The first team to score 100 runs at a baseball game in Ashtabula will be the winner, a Cleveland newspaper reported.
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Wednesday, July 8, 2009

John Hunt Morgan

July 8, 1863 – John Hunt Morgan crosses the Ohio River into Southern Indiana with about 2,000 mounted soldiers and within five days they are headed into Ohio through the small town of Harrison. Folks are hiding behind those boarded up windows.
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Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Satchel Paige

July 7, 1906 – Satchel Paige is born in Mobile, Ala. He learns the craft of pitching at a boys school, would be the star of the American Negro League, and on his birthday at the age of 42, he is hired by the Cleveland Indians. “Fastest and best pitcher I ever faced,” said Joe DiMaggio.
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Monday, July 6, 2009

Schnormeier Gardens

July 6 - Privately owned Schnormeier Gardens in Gambier in central Ohio each year offers to the public a one-day chance to tour 75 acres of wonder: a Japanese teahouse, Australian black swans, a Chinese pavilion, Japanese zigzag bridge, waterfall,10 lakes and sculptures. More info at schnormeiergardens.org.
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Saturday, July 4, 2009

Hanky Panky

July 4, 1966 – Dayton native Thomas Gregory Jackson, who is now playing as Tommy James and the Shondells, is delighted to find that his song "Hanky Panky" entered the Billboard Charts at No. 1, higher than the Beatles Paperback Writer at No. 2. Hits to follow will include I Think We’re Alone Now, Mirage, Mony Mony, Crimson and Clover, Sweet Cherry Wine and Crystal Blue Persuasion: "It's a new vibration..."
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Friday, July 3, 2009

The Loudonville Car Show

July 3 - The Loudonville Car Show offers over 500 classic cars on display in event billed by Cruisin’ Times magazine as a Top Ten car show in America. (877) 2MO-HICA
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Thursday, July 2, 2009

Warren G. Harding

TRIPLE PLAY July 2, 1921 – President Warren G. Harding of Marion interrupts his golf game long enough to sign a resolution ending World War I. July 2, 1993 – Mark Chuifo of Ravenna catches a 37.10-pound, 41.25-inch striped bass for a state record at West Branch Reservoir. In 1999 Tim Veit of Galena fishes Hoover Reservoir north of Columbus when he lands a titanic 46.01 pound 42-inch long Buffalo sucker for a state record.
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Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Fascinating Ohio

July 1, 1983 – Ira Sizemore of Cincinnati catches a 4-pound 21-inch white bass from a Southwest Ohio gravel pit. It’s a whopper and a state record.
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