I recently recounted the background of “electric lights” coming to Cardington.
This week I want to share the story about how and when the village finally received “running “ water.
Although Cardington had been surrounded by water long before it was founded in 1822, with a river running almost directly through it and before it was developed, what is now the town square was the village swimming hoe.
According to stories in the local paper published in 1935, by the middle of the Great Depression years, the people of Cardington were wondering when they would ever have the convenience of running water. Mount Gilead’s residents had enjoyed it since the turn of the century, but when would Cardington get a water works?
In 1935, according to this account, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and his New Deal would oblige Cardington’s citizens.
Early that year Cardington’s council members appointed Ivan Koon, John Tayloir and Frank Worster to the newly created Board of Public Affairs.
These men would oversee the construction and operation of a planned water works. Estimated construction costs were $75,000.
Next, the village council applied to the Public Works Administration in Washington D C for a grant. The PWA was a New Deal program instituted by Roosevelt to put the unemployed back to work on public works projects such as water and sewer systems.
With village council acting as the sponsoring authority, the PWA authorized a grant of $70,000 for construciton of a water works. Cardington’s share of the cost was $7,000. Bonds were issued to cover this expense.
The “rest of the story” will be published in this column next week – however, as far as the village’s water system is concerned. the story runs well into the 1970’s when a permanent source of water was finally found but the PWA grant gave the village a source of their water for the first time.
Looking back 80 years ago: April, 1942: Red Cross First Aid classes began in the Cardington School. Of the 35 women enrolled, most were from Cardington. Due to war priorities the night program at the 1942 Morrow County Fair was being cancelled by the fair board.
April, 1972: 50 years ago: More than 300 children participated in the Easter Egg hunt in the Cardington Park
April, 1982: 40 years ago: Committees continued to plan for the five day “Festival of Thanks” to be held in Cardington near the one year anniversary of the 1981 tornado.
tornado.
