City of Morenci

Ritter’s Station on the Chicago & Canada Southern Railway. The brick Ritter home. White building in rear is station with “Old Dolly” heading west to Fayette, Ohio. (2 miles west and 1 ½ miles south of Morenci)

Ritter family members.

West side of Stair Auditorium, photo from 1912. Front row (l-r) Fred Sutton, Roscoe Wilson, Dr. Charles Blair, George Conant, Leon Mowry (front), Hugh Pegg, Vern Allen, Leander Baker. Standing (l-r) Fenn Wilson, Dr. C. Ballis, Del Stephenson, Fred Day, Elias Buttes, Frank (Cube) Smith, Frank Cawley, A. E. Allen, L. A. Snow, W. W. Crabbs.

Floyd Donley and Fred Sonanstine, blacksmiths. Building later owned by Glaser Welding on Baker Street.

Morenci school teachers about 1930 or 1931. Top row (l-r) Hattie Lang, Lulu Saulsbury, Alberta Spooner, Earl Rich, ____ Fritz, Ralph Folks (principal), and S. E. Touhey (superintendent). Front row (l-r) _________, Lucille Harwick, Esther Peppiott, _________, Lavern Schofield, ___________, ____________, __________, A. B. Twist.

Early day Chesterfield, Ohio, school bus.

Morenci High School Class of 1894 – Graduation. Standing (l-r) Nettie Sweet, Bessie Blanchard, Maude Chase, Anna Cawley, Rose Abling. Sitting (l-r) Clarence Waid, Grace Colvin, Frank Bradley, Nellie Saulsbury and Herbert Youngs.

Baldwin Trucking Company. Barn with teams stood back of present day 116 E. Locust St. Photo of 1911 or 1912. Delbert Badlwin (owner), Will Clapp, Frank Bailey, Elmer Milliman, Charles Bauman, Jonas Henry, George Hoadley, Wesley Swaney.

Ginnivan Dramatic Company. Norma Ginnivan’s Tent Show played the small town circuit in the summer months. Equipment was stored in Fayette, Ohio, through the winter. Shown here at current Wakefield Park.

The Bicycle Club.

Morenci Bicycle Club visiting in Archbold, Ohio. Clubs were popular in the “Gay 90s.” Frank Kellogg and son Ray, Omer Osgood, Rube Smith, George Keyes, Harry Spencer were some of the members. All sported Cleveland bicycles.

The swimming hole under Lake Shore Bridge at foot of W. Congress Street. The concrete bridge supports are still standing.

Riverside Park swimming area in 1930s. The site drew hundreds of visitors in hot weather.

The Buck family in 1908 car at Buck’s corners. Allie Kennedy home in background, East Main Street and East Street South. Son Arthur and daughter Alice in front, Mrs. Buck, daughter Winifred, and Mr. Charles Buck in rear.

The first airplane to land in Morenci, October 1918.

Simon Hotchidurion Dicran, husband of Helen Blair, World War I pilot killed in 1919.

Wreck on the Toledo & Western Electric between Morenci and Fayette.

Old style wagon with load of hay.

Early days of threshing.

Trevor Smith pulling logs with his tractor.

Steam engine pulling a house. John Brink in photo.

Fred Sonanstine, carpenter and blacksmith. (Father of Beatrice Ehlinger)

Clare Fauver and early day road paving.

Tragic Wabash Railroad wreck at Seneca, Thanksgiving Eve, November 1901.

Wabash Railroad wreck at Seneca, Thanksgiving Eve, November 1901.

Wabash Railroad wreck at Seneca, Thanksgiving Eve, November 1901.

Fire at Tidwell’s Auto Sales and garage on West Main St. April 1952.

W. W. Crabbs Store, West Main St. and Orchard Alley, built in 1889.

The carpet room in W. W. Crabbs Store.

Interior view of the “Fair Store” main floor (Cottrell Bros., West Main St., now Village Inn restaurant. Standing fourth from left is Clark Cottrell, Sr., owner.

Ohio Dairy Company on Mill Street, view from southwest.

Ohio Dairy Company, east side view off Locust Street with milk hauling teams.

West Main Street bridge, looking toward Anderson’s Creamery. This bridge was built in 1884, replacing the original one built in 1834. It was replaced again in 1949.

Morenci Roller Mills (Kellogg & Buck). Built in 1865 as woolen mill and demolished in 1972. The mill stood at the end of Congress Street near Bean Creek.

National Dairy Company from Mill and West Locust streets. North end view after extended addition to north. Later part of Parker Rust Proof.

Morenci Centennial celebration July 4, 1876. Abram Babcock is walking a tight-wire from the bank to the Mace building. Morenci Exchange is on northwest corner.

Hotel Saulsbury. Built in 1889 by Cary S. Saulsbury on the northwest corner of Main and North streets. The first meal was served Nov. 7, 1889. Demolished in 1970.

New City Hall built in 1885, dedicated in 1886. Also used by the fire department.

Morning after the fire in January 1912, northeast corner of West Main and North Streets.

Lake shore & Michigan Southern Railway covered bridge over Bean Creek (Tiffin River) at foot of West Congress Street prior to 1908.

Oak Grove Academy at Medina, Michigan. Photo taken Oct. 14, 1868.

“Old Brick” school on Union Street. Built in 1859, demolished in 1872.

High school building on N. Summit Street. Built on the “Commons” in 1872, demolished in 1907. Built by James Turner and Albert Deyo at a cost of $13,000.

First telephone switchboard in Morenci, located on the second floor public room of Hotel Saulsbury. Nellie M. Saulsbury was the first operator.

First telephone switchboard in Morenci, located on the second floor public room of Hotel Saulsbury. Nellie M. Saulsbury was the first operator.

Morenci Home Telephone Company. (l-r) Chip Gignac, Mgr. Lefa Breese (mother of Raymond Sampson), ___________, Bernice McCabe, ___________, Dora Baker.

Roscoe Wilson’s store. Hal Ford, Roscoe Wilson, Claude Ranger.

Ohio Dairy Employees: Rena Saulsbury, Bert Osood, __________, ___________.

LaRowe Hardware Company, store with the two fronts, corner of West Main and North streets, Verl Koon and Clair LaRowe. Photo about 1923.

Porter Lumber Company Employees: Herbert Porter, Clyde Porter, Elmer Porter, Lewis Porter.

Photo in 1901 of Porter Cartage Service moving steel boiler for new Brick & Tile Co. (Herb Sims and Ed Clark). Site was in the rear of the M & S building site on Salisbury Street. (l-r) Elmer Porter, Jonas Henry, Charles Bauman, Olef Heckman, Bert Skates.

Morenci Hook & Ladder Fire Department taken in 1895.

Recital in Stair Auditorium by pupils of Mr. Bryan. Harry Allen’s Orchestra in pit. Orchestra member known: extreme left – Frank Brower, 3rd from left – Dawn Beatty Kast, 3rd from right – Harve Siegfried, at piano – Lulu Starkweather.

Early Methodist Episcopal Church and parsonage taken between 1908 and 1914. Church erected in 1852, parsonage built in 1902.

Main Street, south side looking west from Morenci Candy Kitchen. Early winter snowstorm. First two-story building was Cottrell’s Fair Store.

Main Street looking east from Snow Building and Chappell Foundry about 1908.

Main Street looking east from City Hall in February 1908.

The creamery at Patterson Cheese Factory in Chesterfield Township, Fulton County, some 5 miles straight south from Morenci, southeast corner. Many of Orla Bachman’s family in photo taken in 1900.

First east-bound Toledo & Western car at hotel corner April 1902. Date on card photo is in error. The electric train was also known as the Teeter & Wobble, among other names.

Main Street looking east from hotel corner prior to January 1912.

Sons of Veterans. Picture taken in yard of W.W. Crabbs’ residence, 120 N. Summit St., just north of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

The “Village Senate, the same location as a previous photo but with some new faces. Extreme left – Civil War veteran John Hanna, 3rd from left – Civil War veteran Bill Price, 6th from left – Sam Humphrey, retired merchant. Open area was just west of Allen Jewelry store. Photo from about 1914.

49ers Group taken on front steps of G. W. Gust home, South Summit Street. E. B. Butler, J. G. Meister, Rockwell Gust, H. H. Spencer, C. A. Buck, William Rorick, Roscoe Wilson, W. Scott, G. W. Gust, C. A. Blair, W. W. Crabbs, C. A. Wilson, Luther Gary, Vern Lee, George Keyes. April 17, 1922.

Poker Club. C. Smith, J. Reynolds, M. Swaney, J. Munro, M. Green, C. Fauver, C. Fellows, E. Yoder, M. Clark, G. H. Gerlach.

Third Grade, 1919. Includes Pauline Stockwell, Irene Beadle, Gardiner Chappell, Bob Ackland.

Class of 1920 Morenci High School. Front row (l-r) Edith Amsler, Mildred Spencer, Mildred Cone, Daisy Keefer, Margaret Hoffman, Lottie Reynolds, Alyne Smith, Lila Gordon, Addie Sharr. Second row (l-r) Floyd Lerch, Harold Brandon, Ben Colegrove, Jessie Green , Gayle May, Wayne Sutton. Top row (l-r) Martha Fox, Lena Barber, Prof. Myers, Marie Thompson, Irene Goodyear (Porter).

Morenci Class of 1923.

High School Chorus. Top row (l-r) __________, ____________, Marjorie Wilsberg, ___________, _____ Ellis, ___________, Alice Guss, __________. 2nd row (l-r) Mabel King, __________, Virg Sims, Violte Poucher, A. Spooner (teacher), Alice M. Bishop, __________, __________, ___________, Eloise Smalley. Front row (l-r) ____________, Irene Huffman, Ola Collins, Frances Rorick, Verna Meengs, ____________, Pauline Sonanstine, _____________, _____________, Irene Beadle, Sadora Thornburg, Opal Thompson.

Basketball Team of 1929. Top row (l-r) Von Borton, L. Bancroft, G. Chappell, Dale Borton, Coach Rich. Bottom (l-r) B. Siders, Bob Ackland, V. Baldwin, F. Eldridge, Ralph Mohler.

Bicentennial Celebration, 1976. Mary Bell, Doyle Bell, Joe Shultz (Bicentennial Chairman), Mayor Dwayne Rendel, Jay Funk, Mrs. Joe Shultz.

Bicentennial Costume Contest, July 1976.

Bicentennial Senior Citizen Belles: Myrtle Clark, Minnie Green, Mazie Clark. July 1976.

Bicentennial Parade, Garden Club Float. July 1976.

Bicentennial Parade, Legion and Auxiliary Float. July 1976.

Bicentennial Celebration: Florence Mannschreck, Mazie Clark and Minnie Green at front. Old fashioned dress contest, July 1976.

Mahlon Ort in Bicentennial Costume, July 1976.

Doyle and Mary Bell in Bicentennial costumes, July 1976.

Bicentennial Costume Contest: Myrtle Clark, Barbara Borton, Betty Deatrick, Kathy Carncross and daughter.

Bicentennial Costume Contest: Mary Bell, Agnes Knoblauch Lee, Barbara Borton, Imogene Cowgill.

Reverend Al Hanson in Bicentennial Costume, July 1976.

1923 Baker Steam Engine, model 2390, owned, exhibited and demonstrated by Richard Munk. Town and Country Festival parade, Aug. 15 and 16, 1980.

Mrs. Richard Rhoads (Aldora) with her mother, Mrs. Ceil Keefer, Arts and Crafts booth demonstrating “carding.” Town and Country Festival, Aug. 15 and 16, 1980.

Morenci Business Association’s winning float in the first Town and Country Festival, Aug. 15 and 16, 1980.

Old 1934 Dodge firetruck used in parades only, 350 gallon capacity. Town and Country Festival, Aug. 15 and 16, 1980.

R & J Small Engine – Parade, Town and Country Festival, Aug. 15 and 16, 1980. Jean Sholl on tractor, son Charles on wagon.

Dressed in one of her many clown makeups, Joyce Woerner, a member of the Morenci Garden Club, pays a visit to the club’s flower show during Festival Days of 1980.

Gamble Store Fire, Jan 19, 1982. Adam and Gail Johnson (owners) viewing damage the day following the fire. Temperature was near zero. Fire started by a burning candle in upstairs apartment. Building owned by Kenneth Richardson.

A rear view of damaged Gamble Store Building. Firemen can be seen looking for store records among debris.

Exterior view of the Wilson-May drug store about 1920. Mr. May is standing on the right while clerk Claude Ranger is on the left. Roscoe Wilson continued as a pharmacist after the partnership was dissolved.

Front page of the Observer’s special souvenir publication for Morenci Sesquicentennial in 1983.

A photo view of Morenci Sesquicentennial logo adopted from a drawing by Christine Price Wood.

Annabelle Closson served as general chairman of the sesquicentennial activities. She was a member of the Town & Country Festival organization.

Miss Maureen Mansfield reigned as “Queen” for the sesquicentennial observance. She is shown here during participation in the parade. Kim Valentine serves as her vehicle driver.

Jack Smith attired and ready to announce the Sesquicentennial parade entries as they pass by in review.

A view of West Main St. from Summit St. looking west during historic blizzard of Jan. 26-27, 1978.

Harold Smith and Mel Oberling shoveling a path in front of their respective businesses, following the blizzard.

Following the storm, the City crew went right to work clearing Main Street for traffic convenience.

Morenci Rubber Products burning during catastrophic fire on Nov. 8, 1975.

A view of some of the charred remains following Morenci Rubber Products fire on Nov. 8, 1975.