This and That

By Helen Kaverman, The Delphos Herald
Published:  Monday, June 4, 2007 (1 year, 1 month ago)
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David Bliss, son of the first Delphos mayor Lester Bliss, wrote about many things he recalled about his childhood and later years in Delphos up to about 1926.
He told of the first newspaper, the Section Ten Budget, being established by Benjamin F. Metcalf. Next came the Delphos Oracle founded by Noah Huber and the Northwestern Wig, founded by Samuel Brown. None of these were long lived and Delphos was without a newspaper from 1856-1870, when D.H. Tolan founded the Delphos Herald.
The E.N. Mortin Mill, long called the “big mill,” was a great factor in the prosperity of the town. Farmers came from miles around including Lima and Van Wert to have their grinding done. The rumbling of the mill could be heard day and night.
According to Bliss, Mr. Mortin was a man of commanding appearance, a devout Methodist and a local preacher of that denomination. Mortin and Ferguson Pangle were well-to-do for that day and they were very generous in donating to the upbuilding of the Methodist Church.
Bliss said Delphos, with a population of 700-800, was a busy village with several hotels. The American House was the best hotel between Piqua and Toledo. It was located on the east side of Main Street between Fourth Street and an alley. Landlords were Winchton Risley and his son-in-law, George L. Higgins. They sold to J.R. Clark and Sons from Albany, New York. The senior Clark managed it until after the Civil War.
Other hotels were the Neal House on the northeast corner of Third and Main streets and the Hectar House on the west side of North Main Street between Second and Third streets where the Grand Theater was later located. There was also the Commercial House on the corner of Second and Canal streets just west of the canal. It was the home of many businessmen in those days. It was managed by Charles Ross and his family. They made their house a home to all their patrons. That family was “salt of the earth.” The Penna House on the northwest corner of Main and First streets was headquarters for the railroad employees.
Blass said the people of those days enjoyed life.
“The tallow candles and the old grease dip furnished light for the night. The streets of the town were simply paths of mud part of the year and stiffling dust the balance of the time. At night the streets, unless in time of moonlight, were dark as Egypt and few sidewalks were execrable with planks or slabs thrown in the worst places. Down Town the only light was a lantern on a large post in front of the American House. …Our sewers were on top of the ground…great deep ditches on each side of the street, while the crossings were logs hewn flat on one side.”
Delphos was a town of warehouses, according to Bliss. The Evans Warehouse was located on what is now North Main Street. Opposite Evans across the canal was the Nathan White establishment. The Hollister, Bliss and Lytle warehouse was on the west side of the canal, between Third and Fourth streets. The Pangle warehouse was on the west side of the canal, while Mach and Wrocklage had one behind what is now Shenk Dry Goods Store. J.O. Ostendorf has a warehouse across the canal where Beckman’s Furniture is located.
The old Lye warehouse on North Main Street was the pioneer warehouse of the town and one of the most prominent and busy places in what is now Delphos.
“Mr. Lye was a hustler and one of the prominent business men in this part of the state,” Bliss said.
J.C. Curtis and his brother-in-law built a warehouse on the railroad and canal after the Ohio and Indiana RR, later known as the Pennsylvania RR, came to town. It was a passenger and freight depot for many years.
“What was called a warehouse in those days is now called an elevator. Most of these warehouses had some kind of store in connection with the grain business,” Bliss said.

To be continued next week with the final chapter.

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