1/2/1969 – A boy born to Mr. & Mrs. Roger Blose of Dayton RD1 at 5:16 PM on January 2 was the first birth recorded by Armstrong County parents for 1969 at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital in Kittanning. The Blose birth was followed 20 minutes later by a girl born to Mr. & Mrs. Christopher Culp of 2073 Hobson Drive, Ford City.
1/2/1969 – Meldren Bowers of 420 North Jefferson Street, 28-year veteran Kittanning policeman and chief of police for the past 16 years, retired. When he started, he was paid $132 a month and had to buy all his own uniforms. Now he makes a salary of $546 and has a uniform allowance. Lt. Charles Montgomery, also a veteran of 28 years in the Kittanning police department, assumed his new duties as chief.
1/2/1969 – A garage containing a workshop belonging to Edward Wilson of Cowansville RD1 was razed by fire New Year’s Eve. Three men working on a truck escaped injury from a fire that started with an overheated stove. The men were able to save a truck and a tractor stored in the garage but lost some tools and an air compressor.
1/2/1969 – A former resident of Templeton was killed in an early morning shooting Dec. 29 in Bunker Hill, West Virginia. Ray Franklin Bowser, 29, was found slumped over in a car with bullet wounds in the head. Leroy Enoch Morrison of Bunker Hill was taken into custody by State Police and charged with the murder. Bowser, a son of Mr. & Mrs. John Bowser of Templeton, resided in Templeton until moving to Martinsburg three years ago. He was married to the former Carroll Ann Crawford and the couple had one daughter.
1/2/1969 – The new year began on a tragic note for the Ronald Townsend family in Spring Church when their house trailer and all its contents were completely destroyed by fire shortly before noon of New Year’s Day. No one was home when the fire started. Twelve firemen from Elderton responded to the call.
1/2/1969 – Property loss by fire in Ford City borough during 1968 amounted to less than $200, Fire Chief Edward Shiring said. Firemen were called only 11 times within the borough. The calls included a chimney fire, brush fire, car fire, gasoline flooding street, fire at borough dump, wreck on Fifth Avenue putting down power lines, overheated motor, overheated dryer, and a short circuit in a church organ.
1/2/1968 – A baby boy, born to Mr. & Mrs. Pat Smulick of 203 Main Street, Rural Valley, was the first new arrival at the Armstrong County Memorial Hospital. The infant, Michael Clark, was delivered at 10:22 AM January 1 by Dr. Keith Buck. The infant was named Michael Clark.
Tom Ondo
1/2/1968 – Thomas Ondo, son of Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Ondo of 324 4th Avenue, Ford City, is home on leave after completing advanced training at Ft. Jackson, SC. After leave, Ondo will return to Ft. Jackson, where he qualifies as a wheeled vehicle mechanic. He attended Ford City High School.
1/2/1967 – Ringing in the new year at Armstrong County Memorial Hospital was a baby boy born to Mr. & Mrs. Frank William Kreutzer of 2650 Manor Drive, Ford City. Baby Kreutzer was delivered by Dr. T. L. Kirkwood. The Kreutzers have two other children, Michael, 6, and William, 8.
1/2/1964 – Ray DeLancey, 63, who rose from township constable and tax collector to three county offices, died New Year’s Day in Armstrong County Memorial Hospital. The Kittanning RD2 resident has been failing in health for some time.
1/2/1964 – Army Spec. 4C Gerald H. Rupert, 21, son of Mr. & Mrs. Amos H. Rupert Jr., Neale Avenue, Ford Cliff, is participating in Operation Big Lift, the largest trans-oceanic Army-Air Force deployment ever made by air. Rupert and other members of the 2nd Armored Division were flown from bases near Fort Hood, TX, to bases in Germany where they drew heavy equipment from pre-positioned stocks. The men then joined other U.S. troops stations in Germany for a NATO training exercise.
1/2/1959 – Twenty-two Ford City Kiwanians joined the Kittanning group in their weekly dinner meeting to witness the installation of new officers of the two organizations. The Kittanning club will be headed by Regis E. Coudriet and the Ford City club by Sidney Toy.
1/2/1959 – Negotiators were scheduled to meet again in an effort to reach agreement in the strike by the United Glass and Ceramic Workers of America against the Pittsburgh Plate Glass Industries. The strike at the glass plant began October 6, 1958.
1/2/1954 – Thomas C. Hutchison became the first Armstrong County sheriff to succeed himself as recently elected county officers took the oath of office this morning in brief ceremonies conducted by Judge J. Frank Graff. Succession in the office was made possible by legislative action prior to Hutchison’s first term. Also sworn in were Robert E. Ashe, who will succeed his brother, William A., as district attorney, Coroner C. M. Woodward and Jury Commissioner Effie McIntyre.
1/2/1954 – Norman L. Foust, 42, of High Street, East Brady, took over as acting postmaster of East Brady post office.
1/2/1954 – The Jerusalem Lutheran congregation in Wayne Township voted unanimously to begin plans for construction of a parish hall adjoining the church during the coming year.
1/2/1934 - The sequence of tragic events to the family of the late John Aten remained unbroken with the death of his widow, Mrs. Ean Aten, 36, in St. Francis Hospital, Pittsburgh. She succumbed to severe injuries suffered in an automobile collision at Sharpsburg.
1/2/1934 – A Nu Mine home – that of Mr. & Mrs. Robert Whitacre – was fire-swept and totally destroyed.
1/2/1934 – New Ford Cliff School Approved by Civil Works Administration. Will Employ Eighty-Four Men – Plans are Elaborate. Five projects in the County Win Approval and Will Add $27,583.30 to Money Spent in the County.
1/2/1929 – The Allegheny River has been frozen over for ten days. A number of people have crossed the stream on the ice.
1/2/1929 – The first midnight show in Kittanning theater history was shown at the Columbia Theater.