Ozona History

March 26, 1925
Ozona maintained its reputation of having bad automobile accidents without serious consequences when the Ford touring car driven by Mrs. Lee Wilson turned over last Sunday afternoon spiling the occupants and injuring none of them seriously. The Old Spanish Trail has only recently been graded, leaving soft dirt in the road. Mrs. Wilson was driving on the road to the west of town, when she lost control of the car in the soft dirt causing it to turn completely over, throwing the occupants of the car out of the car as it turned. Only one child was left under the car, which was pulled from underneath, with no great hurt. Mrs. Lee Wilson, her two girls, Mrs. Horace Rogers, her two children, Ena Meinecke and Opal Robertson were the eight occupants of the car at the time of the accident.

March 28, 1935
Caged under padlock and log chain upon arrival, served raw meat at the table and otherwise daintily dealt with, a dozen new members of the Ozona Lions Club were formally initiated at a night meeting of the club at the Hotel Ozona Tuesday evening. The elaborate initiation ceremonies, a new departure in club conduct, was staged as a program feature and as a means of celebrating the recent growth of the club’s membership. Seven visiting Lions, two from Junction and five from Sonora, were in attendance at the meeting, the visitors being assigned the task of enlightening the new Lions on their duties and responsibilities as members of the service club.

Also on March 28, 1935
A handsome new combination ambulance and hearse, just driven through from the factory at Cincinnati, Ohio, was placed in service here yesterday by Joe Oberkampf. The new ambulance is a custom-built machine by Sayers & Scoville, powered with a Buick straight-eight motor of 120 horsepower. It is capable of a speed of 100 miles an hour and is one of the most complete and up-to-date machines of its kind in the nation. Equipped with hot water heating system, complete medical and surgical equipment, electric fans, elaborate interior fittings, streamlined body, extra long springs for comfort in riding, and an exclusive safety feature, and extension floor brace for ease and safety in loading and unloading patients, the new ambulance is one of the most complete units ever produced by the makers.

March 29, 1945
After boiling smoke and flames in a seething cauldron for nine days, Conoco No.13, which blew in a producer from the Ellenburger formation Tuesday of last week and caught fire from a nearby electric plant in operation at the rig, still defied the efforts of oil well fire fighters who have been a work all week in an effort to bring the blazing oiler under control. Fire fighters yesterday had completed cutting the Kelly above the gushing hole which is feeding the roaring flames at the rate of an estimated 50 to 60 barrels of oil hourly. An ingenious method for cutting the drill stem was devised by the fire fighter crew, a long cable being wrapped about the pipe and attached at either end to a wrench truck, the cable being drawn back and forth, passing through water before entering the fire area, until the stem was finally severed. With this obstruction out of the way, the fighter crew planned next to attempt to place a fitting into the well casing and to pump mud into the hole to kill the oil flow and thus extinguish the flames. Workmen have been busy during the week removing re hot fittings derrick wreckage and other metal from the burning pit in preparation for the attempt to snuff out the flames.

March 27, 1975
TENNIS CHAMPS — The Ozona tennis team brought home eleven trophies from the Iraan Tennis Tournament which they won last weekend. Considering there are 12 members on the team, it was not a bad day at all for Ozona. They have won every meet entered this season.