Vindicator file photo/Paul R. Schell

Vindicator file photo/Paul R. Schell

FIFTY YEARS AGO: John Oliver, a 71-year-old Lisbon jeweler and watch repairman, delighted crowds at the Columbiana County Fair Aug. 21, 1958, when he took to the sky tethered to a hot air balloon. Wearing blue tights and red velvet trunks, he ascended several times to a height of 1,500 to 2,000 feet and parachuted to the ground. He had made similar appearances at the fair between 1912 and 1916 and returned to the spotlight after a 42 year hiatus. He duplicated his performances at the fair in August 1968, but after his last jump, the balloon kept rising and disappeared. He died Aug. 21, 1969, at the age of 82.