125 Years Ago, 1896

Taken directly from the The Vindicator: “Without a Home. They folded their tents and silently stole away — Logan Rifles have no armory. The finest military organization in the state now in circumscribed quarters.

“The Logan Rifles, Youngstown’s only representative in the National Guard, are without an armory and without a home. During the dark hours of Tuesday evening, they folded their tents and silently stole away from the building that for so long has been their headquarters at the corner of Phelps and Front streets.

“Not because stealth was necessary, but because most of the members are employed in the daytime, and not wishing to trust their valuable property entirely in the hands of others, they took advantage of their hours of leisure and bag and baggage, camp stool and canteen, uniform and musket were removed from their dearly beloved armory to less spacious and less inviting quarters.

“It has been decreed by the powers that will the destinies of the State of Ohio that $600 per year is too much to pay for rent, and the members of the Rifles, not wishing to take so large a burden upon themselves, found it necessary to seek other quarters prior to April 1, and as that day is rapidly approaching it was found necessary to make a move. Tents and other camp equipage have been stored in a room on East Federal Street, and lockers, uniforms, etc., have been placed in a room secured for that purpose in the Diamond Block.

“Hereafter, instead of drilling on a waxed hard floor of a commodious building, the tramp of the Rifles will be heard on the smooth surface of asphalt pavement on Market Street. The matter of a place to drill does not seem to worry the boys that wear the blue uniforms of Uncle Sam, as it is a great deal more comfortable on warm summer evenings to feel the air of the outside upon their cheeks, than to be housed up in a close room. There is now a bill pending before the Ohio legislation to provide $300 per year for each company of the O.N.G., but this will hardly meet the wants of the Rifles. Had Youngstown two or three companies, matters would be different, as with $600 or $900 per annum, a first class hall could be secured. The Logan Rifles are determined that they will go ahead as if nothing had happened, and will be prepared to make their usual good showing at the state encampment next summer.

“The people of Youngstown may have an opportunity to see the entire Fifth Regiment in line on the Fourth of July, as invitations have been sent to every company in the regiment to participate in the celebration to be held in this city upon that day. The Fifth is one of the best equipped in the state and would add very materially to the appearance of the parade.”

50 Years Ago, 1971

Music students in Salem marked the end of an era as Miss Florence Schnorrenberg passed away. Schnorrenberg had spent more than 50 years teaching local students how to play the piano in her house on Columbia Street. She never charged her students more than 50 cents for the 30-minute lessons citing their need for a musical education and the economic needs of large families. Schnorrenberg was 87 years old when she was forced to stop her lessons, forever closing the lid on her baby grand piano. The following day, she moved into the Convalescent Center, where she spent the last month of her life.

40 Years ago, 1981

More than 20,000 people flocked to the 30th Annual Home and Garden Show held in the Idora Park Ballroom, sponsored by the Home Builders Association of the Mahoning Valley. The show featured more than 100 booths and displays highlighting the most recent trends in home remodeling, decorating and landscaping. The centerpiece of the show was a full-size, albeit unfinished, home built by the HBA, in the center of the ballroom. The home was staffed throughout the show by experts to show what happens behind the scenes during a home renovation.

Other displays showcased the newest technologies in heating and insulation, windows and doors, and wood stoves and furnaces. Several hot tubs were showcased next to outdoor furniture and garden accessories while the parking lot featured the latest in television antennas and satellite receivers. Even area youngsters got involved in the festivities with an art show sponsored by the Boardman and Austintown school districts. The two schools also featured works by students in their industrial arts departments, while students from the Columbiana County Joint Vocational School provided a horticulture exhibit.

• Compiled from the archives of The Vindicator by Traci Manning, MVHS Curator of Education