The Rotary Club of Delphos
by James Hunt, Past District Governor, District 6600
 Delphos - "America"s Friendliest City" - pictured Rotary past presidents Lois Spangler and Helen Pohlman |
Delphos is proclaimed as America's Friendliest City. If you ever do a "make up" at the Rotary Club of Delphos, you will soon find out why citizens of this lovely community deserve this title.
Incoming District Governor Abe Kuttothara
is going to make the Rotary Club of Delphos his first official visit as Governor for Rotary District 6600 on Wednesday, July 6, 2005.
Delphos located in Northwestern Ohio was founded in 1845 and incorporated in 1851. Reverend Father Otto Bredeick and his brother, Ferdinand, selected the location, which was determined by construction of the Miami-Erie Canal, the waterway that once ran from Toledo to Cincinnati. This is prime agricultural land.
Delphos has a population of 8,000 persons within its three square mile area, plus another 8,000 in its adjoining townships that are served by its Post Office and School System. The community sits in three counties, being divided east and west by the Van Wert-Allen County Line, and bounded to the north by Putnam County. The historic Miami-Erie Canal and the Lincoln Highway, the first coast-to-coast highway in this country, intersect in the heart of Delphos. The city celebrates its place in history with its annual Canal Days Festival.
Once upon a time, Delphos was an important stop along the Miami and Erie Canal. These hand-dug canals crossed the state of Ohio. This extended water transportation system helped develop the state as settlers found an easier way into the wilderness, and commerce found a cheaper way to expand. The Miami and Erie Canal, traversing 249 miles from Cincinnati to Toledo, was begun on July 25, 1825 near Middletown. It was built in sections until completed in 1845. The total cost was more than $8 million, financed by bonds and the sale of federal lands.
Most of the work was done by Irish, French, and German immigrants, who labored for 31 cents a day and a jigger of whiskey. They manually moved trees, rocks and soil to create the “big ditch” through the wilderness. Structures on the canal included 19 aqueducts, three guard locks, 103 lift locks, three major reservoirs, and “Deep Cut” that was 6,600 feet long and 52-feet deep.
But for all this work, the canals faced fierce competition from another form of transportation—the railroads. The peak year for the Miami and Erie Canal was 1851, with revenues of $351,897 and approximately 400 boats in operation.
One of Delphos most famous citizens was Leslie Peltier.
Peltier secured his place in history with the discovery of 12 comets, two novae, and 132,000 variable star observations.
Peltier’s accomplishments include the discovery of his first comet when he was 25. From the age of 18 until his death at 80, Peltier never missed sending in a monthly report to the American Association of Variable Star Observers. Harvard astronomer and co-founder of the Astronomical League, Dr. Harlow Shapley, described Peltier as "the world’s greatest non-professional astronomer."
Peltier received an honorary doctorate from Bowling Green State University in 1947. In 1965, a mountain in California, home of the Ford Observatory, was named Mt. Peltier, in his honor. He appeared on the television show "To Tell the Truth" and was the author of three books.
Next time your in the area on a Wednesday, be sure to do a make up at the Rotary Club of Delphos at Johnny A's in the Friendliest City in America, Delphos, Ohio, USA.
