Traveling east on East Main Street in Cardington, I often remember the furniture store that stood at 110 East Main Street. It was a “fixture” in the village and served its residents and people from out of town as the store offered very nice furniture. The store was established by A. W. James who sold it in 1912 to Cline Sherman.

James had been elected Morrow County treasurer. Ora Click operated the store for several years and in 1912 Cline Sherman and Harry Curl purchased the store which continued under the name of Curl and Sherman until 1929.

Cline and Frank Sherman were in partnership with the operation of the store from 1929 to 1945 when Frank became the sole owner. He was associated with the store for 43 years.

In November, 1972 it was sold to Earl and Winifred Clements of Cardington. It was purchased from Frank and Margaret Sherman. The name of the store was changed to Clements Furniture Store and they continued the fine line of furniture the Shermans had offered.

Then on June 13, 1981, the tornado followed a line through the downtown district destroying the furniture store and its contents. We are left with pleasant memories of the furniture store that stood at 110 East Main Street.

• News from the Morrow County Union Register in November, 1939: “Allen Smith of Marengo and Miss Clara Bowman of Edison were united in marriage here.” “Mildred Booher and Ned Early of Cardington were married.”

• From the November, 1914 edition: Ministers who do not live in the county seat have found that the new marriage law making it mandatory for the girl to come into court with the man of her choice, is working to their detriment. Males new take the girl along to the county seat and have the know tied before they get back home, thus cheating the home parson out of his fee!”

From the Morrow County Independent:

November, 1941: Forty two residents were named to serve on Cardington’s Civil Defense Council headed by Mayor Frank Aliga. All were approved by Ohio Governor John W. Bricker; Of the 23 absentee ballots cast in this month’s election, more than half were Cardington residents.

November, 1951: Pvt. Edgar R. Shoults, Morrow County’s second fatality of the Korean War, was interred at Glendale Cemetery. He was posthumously awarded the Silver Star for Gallantry in Action.

“Morrow County had a deadly month on local roads with four traffic fatalities.”

November, 1971: Charles R. Brown, 1956 Cardington High School graduate, and the first recipient of the Lillian E. James memorial scholarship, was tabbed to assume a key administrative position at Indiana University.

https://www.morrowcountysentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2021/11/web1_Long-EvelynBW-1.jpg

A photo of the furniture store that was later purchased and operated by the Shermans until it sold to Earl and Winifred Clements in 1972.
https://www.morrowcountysentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/29/2021/11/web1_Furniture-Store-1905-001.jpgA photo of the furniture store that was later purchased and operated by the Shermans until it sold to Earl and Winifred Clements in 1972. Courtesy photo

By Evelyn Long

Contributing Columnist