110 years ago, 1910

Taken directly from the Youngstown Vindicator:

“Owen Butterly’s fondness for peaches was responsible for him being run down and seriously injured by an automobile on Wick Avenue Hill Wednesday morning at 9:30 o’clock. He was taken to the City Hospital in Gillen and McVean’s ambulance.

“Mr. Butterly, who lives at 104 East Madison Avenue, is the day watchman at the Wick Avenue crossing of the Erie. Wednesday morning, he left his post for a few minutes and went to a huckster’s wagon halfway up the hill to get some peaches. While on his way back to the crossing, the aged man was run down by an automobile which shot over the crossing ahead of a north bound freight.

“Gillen & McVean’s and Orr’s ambulances were summoned. The conveyances were held up for ten minutes by the long freight. Attracted by the accident, a large crowd gathered about the man. The driver of the auto left the scene before the ambulance arrived. When the gates were lifted both ambulances raced to the scene.”

90 years ago, 1930

A disaster in Columbus sent dozens of people to the hospital, including 18 Youngstown students from Chaney High School. More than 110 people were seriously injured at the Columbus Central High School Field when bleachers seating 3,000 spectators collapsed just as the first half of the game between Columbus and Chaney ended. The Youngstown fans were cheering wildly as their team was up 7-0 when one section of the bleachers seemed to slide sideways, throwing them into the next section. The collapse was so slow that some thought it was a “stunt.”

As the bleachers continued to collapse, more spectators were thrown to the ground and struck by falling pieces of wood, others were pinned underneath the rubble, and some were even piled upon each other. Uninjured spectators and police rushed to their aid and every nearby ambulance was used to carry more than 60 people to local hospitals. The other 50 were treated at emergency first aid stations set up in the school’s cafeteria. There were no fatalities; most of the injuries were broken bones, fractures and bad bruises.

Broughton White, the facility manager at Chaney, witnessed the incident and noted, “almost simultaneously with the bark of the timer’s gun that signified the termination of the first half, a cracking sound was heard. The bleachers to our left swayed for just a second and yells of terror followed as the structure collapsed sideways, like rows of dominoes falling. The rescue crew worked with utmost speed and practically everyone in the vicinity joined in assisting the injured to the school. Ambulance bells clanged and the sounds of sirens intermixed with the cries of the injured.”

The collapse was believed to be the result of overcrowding along with the age and wear of the bleachers. Several pieces of seating were so decayed that they could be picked apart with only one’s fingers.

45 years ago, 1975

A historic landmark in Columbiana was restored back to its 1862 appearance by a dedicated group of Boy Scouts. The Scouts from Troops 16, 18 and 69 worked to remove two layers of old siding from the log home, one asbestos and one clapboard, to reveal the original logs of the structure. The cabin had recently been moved to the Village Square to be used as the community’s headquarters for the Village Bicentennial Committee.

Support was provided by the Village Street Department, which helped clean up the materials. The next step in the restoration process was to chink the logs and rebuild the front porch. The building was placed on old sandstone blocks. Jane White of the Heritage Marker Committee noted that research of the house showed that it had only one large room on each level.

• Compiled from the archives of the Youngstown Vindicator by Traci Manning, MVHS curator of education.