100 years ago in 1924:

Girard’s proposed high-level bridge, estimated to cost approximately $1 million, was practically assured when a message was received from their offices in Baltimore that the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad company signed the resolution stepping into the various preliminary negotiations.

Chairman Tom Pritchard of the bridge committee, gave out the formal announcement and by the bridge promoters is regarded the best bit of news received yet.

The resolution immediately upon its return, was submitted to the Youngstown & Northern railroad for approval which seemed a certainty since the Carnegie Steel Co., the parent interest, had already indicated a favorable attitude.

The other railroads and interests had already signed the bridge resolution which bound them to bear their proportionate share; the county and township were heartily cooperating and the big project was regarded as a certainty.

50 years ago in 1974:

The Warren Tribune Chronicle had news bureaus located at 21 points throughout Trumbull County to serve every community in the area — providing “All-County Coverage.”

The Tribune operated four daily news bureaus and had 17 staff correspondents to provide local service to its readers and news sources throughout the county.

Daily bureaus, all with two-way teletype communication, were operating in Niles, Howland, Newton Falls and Cortland. The Niles news bureau, headed by David Pack, was stationed in the Rose Office building on Robbins Avenue. At Howland, the Tribune’s news bureau was located in Room 119, Howland Plaza, and Bruce Crawford was the head of that bureau. Mrs. Richard (Marty) Douce had charge of the Newton Falls news bureau located at 208 Bane St. The Cortland Bureau was located at 280 Maplewood Dr. Apt. 2 Cortland Courts, with Mrs. Harry (Jean) Mercer. News was reported twice weekly from 17 townships of Trumbull County.

25 years ago in 1999:

Gabrielle Onder, an eighth grade student from Warren’s East Middle School, was the only contestant to compete in the Tribune Chronicle Spelling Bee five times. She claimed the title of top speller after two hours of spelling, beating more than 40 contestants to go on to represent the Warren area at the Scripps Howard National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. Runner-up David Harper, seventh-grader at LaBrae Junior High School, misspelled “Napoleon,” (a man’s high boot commonly worn in the 19th century). Other contestants Uriah Karkow, an eighth grader from East Middle School won third place and the youngest finalist, David Mason, a fourth grader from McKinley Elementary School in Warren, ended up in fourth place. Each of the contestants- representing third through eighth grades in area schools- had different methods of figuring out how to spell words while on stage. Some said their words over and over under their breath, others blurted them out quickly as if they might forget. Gabrielle said she remembered “napoleon” from the study guide she put under her pillow the night before the bee. “I’ve always done that,” she said, “not that it helps anything.”

10 years ago in 2014:

The south side of Main Street in Garrettsville stood with a row of charming, three-story brick buildings; their historic storefronts hearkening back to the 1800s, one sign complete with the image of a penny farthing. The north side of the street mirrored it with tall mint green and white-sided stores, until a fire reduced the block of 13 businesses to cinders and rubble.

Thirty-four departments responded to the blaze. Patrons and business owners were evacuated at the start of the 1 p.m. fire and no one was reported injured beyond a firefighter with smoke inhalation. By about 6 p.m., crews began pulling items from the stores, including a historic sewing machine, antique clocks from a repair shop and the pole from outside the barber shop. Then demolition began, allowing firefighters to put out blazes deeper inside the structures.

Neighboring the rubble was the untouched building housing the village’s historical society. A sign in the front window read “History matters,” and a display showed off a set of old fireman’s boots, a worn water bucket and a captain’s hat. For the village set on saving its history, the loss was large, yet the chatter on Facebook by local businesses and residents had turned to rebuilding.

Compiled from the archives of the Tribune Chronicle by Emily Earnhart.