The celebration of the 100th year of the Victory Shaft in Mount Gilead led me to search the newspapers for other things going on a century ago. Following are some excerpts from the Morrow County Independent and the Morrow County Sentinel.
In Cardington, the Public Utility Commission of the state ordered the Big Four railroad to place a watchman at their crossing in Cardington where three persons had been killed within the previous year. Clay Rinehart was the railroad watchman.
His companions called him the “human sieve,” but to the people of Cardington he was better known as Lewis Hall. During his 18 months service in France, he was wounded 115 times. He arrived in Cardington after having been discharged. He was the son of the late Chas Hall.
On another note, there was a record three divorces filed in the Morrow County court house in one day and all were filed by the wives. One filing stated her husband talked unceasingly and she could no longer stand it; another filed because her husband had not spoken to her for six months and the third said her husband had beat her and thrown her out of the house.
In notes from Camp Sherman, a croix de guerre had been received for Private George Mailey of Edison, formerly a member of the 100th Infantry who was cited by France as a remarkably brave soldier as he worked incessantly after being swept by machine gun fire in order insure the advance of a tank corps.
Another item in a June, 1919 Independent notes: Encamped along the gas line in three large tents on the Albert Bean place are some 25 Italians who are repairing the said line. One report says “a special meal with them was a compound of turtle, tomatoes and cabbage. They buy quite a lot of stuff of the farmers in the neighborhood. Their boss is an Americanized Italian and talks several languages,” it is said.
70 years ago, 1949: Robert Gompf, a recent graduate of the Cleveland College of Mortuary Science, became an associate of the Curl Mortuary William Maxwell, Sally Dunham and Clifford Smiley, Jr. were all registered as students at Ashland College. All were from Cardington.
Homecoming queen was Nancy Richey and her court attendants were Nola Orsbon, Ella Gossett, Joan Richeson and Betty Bowers.
60 years ago, 1959: Homecoming queen was Susan Jerome. Court members were Marilyn Mosher, Diana Main, Bonnie Rinehart and Kathy Cooper. Leona Shaffer of Cardington, graduated from Ashland Samaritan Hospital, School of Nursing and Cardington graduate Ralph King completed the Ohio Highway Patrol School.
30 years ago, 1989: Clemma Vale, retired Cardington fifth grade teacher, was named Woman of the Year by the Morrow County Chapter of Business and Professional Women.
