Wapakoneta is the seat of Auglaize County.  As of the 2000 Census it had a 9,474 people.  It is the birthplace to Neil Armstrong.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nice set, I like Wapa.

 

I wonder what is going on with that last building; this is what it looked like in 2007:

 

Around 1970 the Wapa Theater was owned by a flaming young queen who I think inherited it.

 

One night I was in Piqua at the aptly-named Water Main, a fun-trashy gay dive at the corner of Water and Main Streets, when someone was handing out flyers for a midnight showing of Staircase and The Gay Deceivers at the Wapa.

 

A friend and I drove over, and there in the late-night, otherwise-deserted streets of Wapakoneta was the Wapa, fully lit with the films on the marquee and a steady stream of gay men going through the doors.

 

In addition to the feature films, they showed some cheesy sixties 16mm porn-theater thing involving some guy and his search for fulfillment finally satisfied in an encounter with a dominatrix. Racy by that era's standards, I suppose, but now it probably wouldn't even merit and R rating.

 

I believe the theatre was full to capacity. It would have been interesting to know how far some people traveled; I know there were some there from Toledo. Considering the small-town morality standards of the time and what I heard went on in dark corners and the bathrooms of the theater, I'm surprised the place didn't get raided and make headlines in the area's newspapers. Perhaps the owner's family was too well connected in the town, or maybe he had the goods on someone of influence. Probably the most exciting thing that has ever happened in Wapa.

What's up with the building in photo number 14? (with the flag out front) it looks like the owners covered up all vestiges of the historic facade using modern siding, yet left the contruction date (1886) clearly visible...guess understanding the humor in that somehow evades me.

Thanks!

Nice tour!  Looks like a nice little town.

I hope nothing bad is going to happen to that last building. (I have terrible visions of that opening being filled with EIFS, or something.)

 

As far as the building in pic #14, I'm guessing that the owners are just somewhat clueless about what makes historic architecture interesting.  They might be thinking the date is enough?

Nice enough small town.  Very appropriate to post a Wapakoneta photo thread with the 40th anniversary of Neil Armstrong's moon landing coming up next week.

they have several gorgeous buildings + one very cool old man bar sign.

 

even on the downside while there is some abandonment, at least the stock is still intact.

 

 

Around 1970 the Wapa Theater was owned by a flaming young queen who I think inherited it.

 

One night I was in Piqua at the aptly-named Water Main, a fun-trashy gay dive at the corner of Water and Main Streets, when someone was handing out flyers for a midnight showing of Staircase and The Gay Deceivers at the Wapa.

 

A friend and I drove over, and there in the late-night, otherwise-deserted streets of Wapakoneta was the Wapa, fully lit with the films on the marquee and a steady stream of gay men going through the doors.

 

In addition to the feature films, they showed some cheesy sixties 16mm porn-theater thing involving some guy and his search for fulfillment finally satisfied in an encounter with a dominatrix. Racy by that era's standards, I suppose, but now it probably wouldn't even merit and R rating.

 

I believe the theatre was full to capacity. It would have been interesting to know how far some people traveled; I know there were some there from Toledo. Considering the small-town morality standards of the time and what I heard went on in dark corners and the bathrooms of the theater, I'm surprised the place didn't get raided and make headlines in the area's newspapers. Perhaps the owner's family was too well connected in the town, or maybe he had the goods on someone of influence. Probably the most exciting thing that has ever happened in Wapa.

 

oh i dk rob, i think homeboy walking on the moon got the whole town a little more worked up than even that...!  :wink:

 

from ohio memory:

 

"More than 80,000 supporters greeted Armstrong upon his return to Wapakoneta, Ohio on September 6, 1969. Bob Hope served as marshal for the event, and guests included "Tonight Show" sidekick Ed McMahon, and Dr. Albert Sabin, who invented the polio vaccine. Hope joked with the crowd that Armstrong was adjusting well to life on Earth after his space visit, "but he keeps throwing his shoes out the window and eating toothpaste," referring to the system of trash disposal on early flights and the practice of packaging astronauts' food in tubes."

 

speaking of that -- it's the 40th anniversary of the moon landing.

some great stuff about it in today's nytimes:

 

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/13/showcase-19/?hp

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/science/space/14future.html?_r=1

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/14/science/space/14mission.html?hpw

 

 

An article about an early 1900s building that was just demolished downtown.  It was built to serve as the Western Ohio Interurban Railway Building.

 

http://www.wapakdailynews.com/content/view/154260/1/