One hundred twenty-five years ago in 1898, taken directly from the Youngstown Vindicator:

“Liberated. Seventeen carrier pigeons released on Central Square. Fly towards Oil City. Owned by a prominent merchant and club man of that place — more coming.

“Seventeen carrier pigeons were liberated Wednesday morning at 9:58 standard time by the local agent of the Adams Express company, and by this time they are surely at home sitting in their coops or flying in the vicinity of them.

“The pigeons belong to Max Jacobs, of Oil City, Pa. They were expressed here Tuesday with an order to the local agent to release them at 10 o’clock Wednesday morning, provided the weather was all right. Promptly the agent followed instructions. The birds arose above the Commercial National Bank and then made a circle. Soon they dug out for the east and in a minute or so could not be seen.

“Several spectators remarked that they saw the same pigeons 10 minutes afterwards flying about as if they were lost, but a bystander said that the pigeons they were looking at were those of John Jones or Al Cooper of Grant Street.

“The distance to Oil City, the Express agent said, was a little more than 60 miles direct. The birds are the property of a club man who, in his letter to the Adams Express agent, said that he would liberate more pigeons here Sunday next.

“The birds were apparently nice ones, large and plump and very active. As they were liberated, a big crowd gathered and the actions of these caused the passersby to gaze intently in the air looking at what — they knew not.

“A railroader present said that the carrier pigeons released were fine ones. He knows the owner and has seen his stock.

“Max Jacobs is a clothing merchant, one of the prominent dealers of Oil City. He was telegraphed when the birds were set free.

“Carrier pigeons have been used very successfully during war times and who knows but what these birds may be making a test for the officials.”

• Compiled from the Youngstown Vindicator by Traci Manning, Mahoning Valley Historical Society curator of education.