O-R Archive: July 25, 1968

Step back in time 50 years as we present some highlights from the July 25, 1968, edition of the Observer-Reporter.
Highlights in news from 1968 include rerouting of traffic for the new Jefferson Avenue in Washington, the arrival of rain during a drought, postal service cutbacks, and an update on negotiations between the U.S. and Soviet Russia on curbing missiles. There’s also a front-page photo of Mary Smiley of Denver, Colo., who just won the title of Miss Wool of America, and includes her measurements as 5 feet, 8 1/2 inches tall with dimensions 34-24-34.

It’s the final three days of the Home Furniture Company’s warehouse sale!
Some of the ads from 1968 include an ad for the “Picture Perfect Portable” TV, only $79.77 and weighs only 16 1/2 pounds. You could buy a new Ford mustang for just $2,475, and you could get boneless rolled beef roast for just 79 cents a pound. A new Whirlpool 15-foot, no-frost refrigerator – with automatic ice maker – was only $299.
The Observer-Reporter Sports page in 1968 featured baseball scores, a preview of the ’68 Adios Stakes, and coverage of a lawn tennis tournament, as well as race results and softball coverage.
Some of the comics in 1968 included “Archie,” “Mark Trail,” and “Nancy,” as well as “Scamp,” “Mary Worth,” and “The Phantom.”
The Opinion page in 1968 looked similar to today’s – the names may have changed, but the topics for commentary remain the same: the president, politics and elections.
There was even a feature on the front page called “Today’s Chuckle,” which read “A pessimist is a person who absorbs sunshine and radiates gloom.”

Ah, the good old days, when a new Ford was $2500. Pictured here are some car dealership ads from 1968.

Most of the K-Mart’s are gone, but in 1968 they were a major player. This ad shows some of the prices on everyday items.

This “Picture Perfect Portable” TV was only $79.77 in 1968, and only weighed 16 1/2 pounds.

In 1968, you could buy four tires from Coen Tire for under $60.

Here are some grocery prices from a 1968 Bartolotta’s ad.

In 1968, the Observer-Reporter was helping yinz with your grammar with a “Lesson in English” feature.

Some of the comics in 1968 included “Archie,” “Mark Trail,” and “Nancy,” as well as “Scamp,” “Mary Worth,” and “The Phantom.”

The Observer-Reporter Sports page in 1968 featured baseball scores, a preview of the ’68 Adios Stakes, and coverage of a lawn tennis tournament.

The Editorial page of the Observer-Reporter from 1968.

This editorial cartoon published on July 25, 1968, referenced embattled Supreme Court Justice Abe Fortas, nominated by President Lyndon B. Johnson to serve as chief justice. A year later, Fortas became the first justice to resign under threat of impeachment.

Here’a notice from the July 25, 1968 Observer-Reporter that a new feature would be appearing in the O-R from a “youthful” columnist who is an under-30 newspaperman.