A look back in time

Community

June 5, 2019 - 10:13 AM

60 Years Ago

June 1959

The Iola Coca-Cola Bottling Co., 204 N. Washington, the county’s oldest business of its type, will celebrate its 50th anniversary this month with an open house and a dinner for company employees. The Hon. James A. Farley, former postmaster general of the United States, will speak at the dinner. Farley is now chairman of the Coca-Cola Co. board of directors. The banquet will be held in the Community Building in Riverside Park. Ralph Copening of Iola is president and general manager of the business which was founded in 1909 by his father, John M. Copening, who is no longer active in the firm. His other sons, John and James, are both executives in the business.

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The Iola Municipal Band will open its 88th consecutive season in the Courthouse Park at 8 p.m. Thursday. Directed by Dale Creitz, the band this year has 42 members who began rehearsing several weeks ago. Most of them are veterans who have been with the band for 10 years or more, plus a few younger musicians.

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Allen County showed a population gain of 53 last year, according to assessors’ enumeration released today by Mrs. Maxine Abbott, county clerk. Iola showed one of its best gains in years, climbing from 6,893 to 6,999, a gain of 106. Bassett, Gas, LaHarpe and Savonburg all showed slight gains over last year. The other towns and most townships showed slight losses.

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