Serving Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky and Wood Counties
Aug. 31
1878: A fire destroys the huge Put-in-Bay Hotel and several other buildings on South Bass Island.
1901: A large tomato canning plant opens in Bowling Green, later becoming the Heinz plant and continuing operation until 1975.
1925: The Toledo Zoo buys two new Bengal tigers from a wild animal dealer in New York for $3,500.
1929: Momentum is building in Toledo and the Great Lakes region for a link to the Atlantic Ocean. The Toledo News Bee runs a special section on the latest developments in the efforts to build a canal and a new link to connect the Great Lakes port cities with the ports of Europe. It took 30 more years to become a reality.
1955: A bright new addition to Toledo's downtown skyline was added as the 15-foot-high Owens-Illinois neon sign was hoisted into place atop the 368-foot O-I headquarters on Madison, where it remained for the next 28 years.
1966: Uncle Sam's Drive-in on Laskey Road features 15-cent burgers and strawberry shortcake for just 19 cents.
Sept. 1
1866: It’s reported that Toledo’s police officers are now wearing official uniforms as ordered by city council. The uniform includes black pants, grey vests, and a single-breasted coat.
1908: The 75-foot-tall Fort Meigs monument is dedicated at Perrysburg as thousands turn out for the event.
1910: More than 5,000 people attend the town of Elmore’s big picnic along the river. The event featured a parade, a “fat man’s race,” a series of “tug of war” contests that pitted 10 men against a horse, and a late day balloon ascension by a Toledo aeronaut.
1911: What might have been the first “tiny homes” were advertised for sale at Kobackers' store in Toledo. A three-room house went for $195.
1926: Eight people are killed in a head-on crash of north-south Interurban trains in Monroe, Mich. Scores are injured and many victims are from Toledo.
1937: The Toledo police begin a crackdown on child molesters after a wave of such crimes are reported in the city. A shoe store clerk is taken into custody for luring young girls into the store to model in what was actually a fake fashion show.
1945: The city of Toledo files a legal suit to close the reputed gambling casino, the Dixie Inn on North Detroit Avenue.
1947: The Toledo Blade reports that 8,219 people in Toledo work for the railroads.
1948: The Induction Center opens for Toledoans to sign up for Korean War duty.
1949: A record crowd for wrestling matches of over 6,700 people pack the Toledo Sports Arena to watch grapplers such as The Zebra Kid, The Red Devil, and The Polish Angel perform.
Sept. 2
1911: The Maumee River claims the lives of seven people in a small launch called the Nemo. Six victims are city employees.
1945: Japan formally surrenders, ending World War II.
1967: A fire takes place at PeeWee’s Bar on Suder Avenue, and Toledo fire lieutenant Chester Rybarczyk is killed.
1972: Dave Wottle wins the 800-meter competition at the Munich Olympics, becoming BGSU’s first Olympic gold medalist.
Sept. 3
1894: Cornerstone is laid for the new and present day Lucas County Courthouse.
1902: The “saloon war” in Genoa is growing tense. A window was reported smashed in at a local saloon by the leader of the temperance movement, who wants all the saloons closed down. A petition has been drawn up to hold an election on the fate of the drinking establishments. One correspondent says "things are decidedly hot at Genoa and growing warmer.”
1908: Thousands of former Union soldiers from the Civil War convene in Toledo for the National Grand Army of the Republic encampment. Over 30,000 veterans from across the United States came to Toledo to be part of the celebration that was the largest assembly of people in the city.
1935: The Toledo area records a wild weekend on roadways with crashes that injured more than a dozen people. The News Bee prints photos of some of the wreckage left behind.
2001: The final minor league game for the Mud Hens is played at Ned Skeldon Stadium in Maumee as 11,800 fans jammed the stadium to watch Columbus defeat Toledo, 13-12.
Sept. 4
1830: The early Wood County court fines John Harris $2.50 for running a horse within the Perrysburg city limits.
1929: The U.S. Coast Guard announces a full blitz of stepped-up patrols and a fleet of 20 new boats to combat the rum running on Lake Erie in the Toledo area.
1940: With much celebration, the new Toledo Public Library building opens downtown on Michigan Avenue.
Sept. 5
1865: A wooden span of the Cherry Street Bridge is opened to traffic with a new drawbridge.
1897: The first “horseless carriage” appears on an Elmore, Ohio street.
1900: Cresceus, Toledo's famous champion racehorse owned by George Ketcham, breaks the world’s one-mile record for trotters. The popular stallion achieves the milestone at 2:04 and 3/4 seconds while competing in Hartford, Conn.
1922: Oakdale Elementary School opens its doors for students.
1954: It’s discovered that an unknown Navy pilot dropped practice bombs on top of the Toledo water intake crib, damaging the roof.
1958: “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof” is playing at Valentine, while “The Naked and the Dead” is playing at Pantheon Theater.
Sept. 6
1885: Otto Kruger, who gained fame as a popular actor in the 1930s and 40s, is born in Toledo. Coincidentally, he passed away on his birthday exactly 89 years later in 1974.
1917: Sixteen Toledo nurses, who recently graduated from Mercy nursing school, leave for war duty in Europe.
1922: Toledo police detective William Martin is shot and killed by car theft suspects inside Fulton Garage at 302 Prescott St. His partner, Detective George Bach, is wounded.
1932: The Toledo police beef up registration of known "pickpockets." The Queen of the pickpockets is "Big Majority" who works the old Tenderloin district, while others like "Little Bit," "Lifting Lena," and "Nimble Nell" are so good they can search a man's pockets while asking him for the time of day.
1938: Work begins on the demolition of the historic Gendron Wheel Plant on downtown Toledo’s Superior Street.
1945: Within a month after the Japanese surrender in World War II, the Navy discharges the first sailors through the Toledo Naval Separation Center at the Naval Armory Building at Bay View Park.
