From the Files of the Kosciusko County Historical Society
Editor’s note: This is a retrospective article that runs a few times a month on InkFreeNews.
Information for this retrospective series is courtesy of the Kosciusko County Historical Society.
1995 — The deaths of three Dalton Foundries workers following an explosion at the Warsaw plant ranks as the top local story of 1995.
The early morning explosion on June 22 injured 18 workers, three of whom died during the next few days: John Parker, Robert Wells and Terry Wood.
Although some workers complained about conditions at Dalton, many said the potential for such accidents goes hand in hand with that type of work.
The company, which has had a strong worker safety record, was fined $36,375 by the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
The company also established funds for the victims and their families.
June 24, 1976 — When Chris Schenkel, Homer Shoop and everybody else at the Palace of Sports went about picking a 1976 King of Sports for the 31st annual Mermaid Festival, they could probably have done no better than what they did — two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin.
Griffin, who made an appearance at the festival Wednesday to be crowned and to head up the Cutie Parade and Contest, is a perfect choice of what the founders had hoped for to provide a splendid example for the King of Sports Youth program.
June 24, 1974 — Following an absence of two years, a handful of citizens have completed plans for the 12th Wawasee Flotilla Festival beginning with fireworks July 4 and ending with a decorated boat parade July 7.
The idea of the flotilla originated with the late Tom Socks, following drownings that plagued Lake Wawasee for three years in a row. June had become the unlucky month around the lake with the last two drownings occurring on Father’s Day. Socks decided something was needed to offset the June tragedies, so the Father’s Day Flotilla began in 1961.
– Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels