Today in Delaware County History, August 18

100 years ago, 1924: A street fair held by the Ladies' Auxiliary of the Felton Fire Company on Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the corner of Third and Morton Streets concluded successfully on Saturday evening. Sales raised a nice sum of money which will be donated to the firefighters.

75 years ago, 1949: A defective battery charger was blamed today for the spectacular fire that destroyed an auto parts store on Seventh Street near Penn Wednesday night and cost $100,000. Charles Taylor, a state police fire marshal, said a short circuit in the machine's motor apparently started the flames that destroyed the Hyman, Stein & Sons building.

50 years ago, 1974: About 200 families in five communities will participate in a waste recycling pilot program this fall, said County Commissioner Harry A. McNichol. The communities have not yet been selected. Residents will separate paper, washed glass, washed metal and garbage, which will then be picked up by either the county or the municipality and sold by the county.

25 years ago, 1999: Remember when a gallon of gas was cheap? The good old days of April went by as quickly as an 89-cent-a-gallon Sunoco sign on Interstate 95. Experts agreed that can't last forever. Independent local refiners and retailers Tosco and Sunoco say increased crude costs and a reduction in the overall oversaturated gasoline market have started to catch up with consumers at the pump. Sun spokesman Bud Davis said it's only a matter of time before the higher commodity prices start to show up at independent stations. While gasoline prices moved only slightly, crude prices rose 56 percent from mid-December to April. The industry will eventually have to recoup that money as the gasoline oversupply eases, Davis said.

10 years ago, 2014: The Concord Township Planning Commission heard comments from attorneys, consultants and numerous residents as it began its review of Vineyard Commons. The proposed Beaver Valley residential development covers 230 acres of a 318-acre parcel bordering Route 202, Smithbridge Road, Chadds Ford Township and the Pennsylvania-Delaware state line, and spanned by the street of the same name. The presentation was a revision of plans withdrawn in 2013 that, in partnership with The Wolfson Group Inc., called for development of the entire property with 314 single-family homes, townhomes and detached homes, 120 active-adult residences and 180,000 square feet of commercial space. A petition opposing the proposal garnered more than 5,500 signatures.

— COLIN AINSWORTH