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. For more history of Kosciusko County in the news visit yesteryear.clunette.com

Jan. 17, 1977 — One of the coldest sieges ever to hit Indiana sent temperatures plunging to 19 below zero in Warsaw and even lower at some other communities early today.

Schools closed by the score and a number of motorists had problems starting their cars. Windy conditions caused some drifting of snow.

Jan. 14, 1976 — The Old Hotel, an 86-year-old downtown Milford landmark, was gutted by a five-hour fire today that halted Lakeland school district buses for two hours.

Volunteer firemen from Milford, Syracuse, Nappanee and Leesburg were called to the scene to extinguish flames that started in the basement and burned up through the second floor of the hotel via side walls.

Jan. 20, 1975 — Firemen from five departments labored in near zero temperatures early today battling a stubborn blaze that gutted a downtown Warsaw business building and caused damage unofficially estimated at $200,000.

The flames were detected at 1:05 a.m. in a building at 107-111 E. Market St., owned by Nancy Hall of Warsaw. The fire was contained to the top floor of the two-story structure, but heavy water and smoke damage was reported to the ground-level business — Helfrich’s “Too” and the Koors Insurance Agency. Adjoining businesses — Hull House and Hall Hardware — also received smoke and water damage.

– Compiled by InkFreeNews reporter Lasca Randels