It’s Valentine’s Day and that brings to mind the many times I purchased Valentine Cards in our local drug store. Today they are called pharmacies, but today as “in my day” the stores offer a wide variety of items, from home remedies, to jewelry, magazines, perfumes, etc.
Our local store, Stone’s Drug Store, was also a Greyhound bus stop.
Keeping with my subject the last two weeks, the building that housed the town drug store for 43 years years was one of the seven left standing after the 1981 tornado. Although heavily damaged and looking beyond repair, it was restored over a period of two years, and is once again housing a business.
A drug store stood on that site, 103 E. Main St., in 1857. The map I have illustrates the wood building housed Lamprecht Brothers Shoes, Glidden’s Drug Store and the Brookner Store. Just 20 years earlier this site was a swamp — the town swimming pool — but developed as the village grew.
Sometime later the wood structure burned down and the lot was vacant for many years. In 1902 Johnny Underwood built a stone block two-story building with a basement on that lot. It housed first, Ed Callahan’s Bar and Pool Room where large pork sandwiches were a menu item.
In 1938 John Stone, who had come to Cardington as a pharmacist in 1936 and worked in Shaffer’s Drug Store on West Main Street, moved into the 103 E. Main St. building where he owned Stone’s Drug Store until he retired and sold the business to Keith and Kathy Barga in 1979.
The tornado damaged building required two years of restoration and in 1982 the Bargas moved the business across the street. The former drug store housed first, Adult Basic Education classes, then Farmers Citizens Bank of Bucyrus until they opened their branch in 1998.
The Cardington Market now operates from the site. The small business room on the west end of the building has been the site of many businesses from Kroger, Red and White, a flower shop, television repair, antiques and a used items store.
Today, that room is part of the Cardington Market. There are three apartments upstairs. In 1924-25, those rooms were used as classrooms by the school when the Union School was under construction on Nichols Street.
The J. S. Peck Company A Unit (World War I) also used those rooms for their meetings.
The building now has a trio of owners. A walk in the market generates memories of the drug store to me as I silently note where the counters were, the pharmacy itself with Mr. Stone standing behind that counter, and the display cases where the latest magazines and comic books were placed.
The phone booth is still there, silent now, but once used by many including those arriving on the bus and calling for someone to pick them up.
Memories. I’m so glad this building still stands.
70 years ago, February, 1948: Ralph Sanderson began his 28th year as Cardington’s night watchman.
Morrow County Recorder Hilda Riggs reminded all World War II veterans in the county to have their discharge papers recorded in her office before applying for their Ohio Military bonus.
50 years ago, February, 1968: Margo Lamson, Cardington, a senior at Bowling Green State University, was the recipient of an 11 x 10 foot Valentine Heart sent by her boyfriend. The heart was made of 75 pounds of poultry netting and crepe paper.
