A story from the November, 1950 Independent, describes the pet owl owned by Mrs. E. H. Kanable, a resident of the Center Community.
The owl was originally brought in for bounty while just a youngster in April, 1950. Charlie was among a family of young owls taken out of a nest high in the branches of a dead tree by David Kanable. The owl was spared the death sentence and became a full-fledged member of the Kanable family.
Charlie loved taking a bath and turned down the bread made by Mrs. Kanable, vying instead for a bakery’s commercial bread. The owl was free to come and go from the time he was able to fly around the barn or granary waiting to pounce on some unsuspecting rodent. Charlie came into the house at 6 a.m. every morning for his “dessert” of bread and milk and again at 7 p.m. in the evening.
The Kanables were unclear as to whether Charlie was Charlene — and were waiting to see if “he’ laid eggs. I wonder how that story ended.
• Another item in 1926 describes a Westfield woman, Anna Beatty, who cut 453 shocks of corn on her farm, the old Beatty homestead south of Cardington. She claimed to be the corn cutting champion. She was described as a little woman who “does not look her 70 years.”
• A story in 1937 describes the red brick school house known as the “Railroad School at Westfield,” had been razed and the lumber and bricks were taken to Cardington. The building was located on the William Cecil farm, and Cecil was planning to erect a residence on West Main Street in Cardington from the materials.
All of the Westfield pupils were transported to Cardington that year. It had been part of the Cardington School District for several years.
• From an 1883 Morrow County Sentinel: “ On Tuesday night of last week, a little waif was left on the door step of T. Corwin Cunard near Lincoln Center by some unknown parties.
The waif had a tag tied around its neck, stating that it was one month old, the father of it was a Welshman and the mother was an American. “Our friend, Cor, not feeling inclined to adopt it as his own, reported the fact to the township trustees, whereupon it was taken to to the County Infirmary, and is being properly cared for.”
• A June, 1944 edition of the Union Register, features an article by the Morrow County Board of Health and Commissioner Dr. F. M. Hartsook, listing the seven symptoms of polio, a illness which was expected to reach its peak later that summer.
March, 1941, 80 years ago: It was noted that in 1939 Morrow County had 169 stores that did a total business of over $2.6 million and employed a total of 239 persons, according to the Census of the U.S. Department of Commerce A survey by Ohio State University found that 75 alumni were at that time residing in Morrow County. Of the nearly 50,000 alumni, three fourths lived n Ohio.
March, 1981: 40 years ago: Warm weather at the end of he month closed the 17 maple sugar camps in the county. It was the lowest total of maple syrup making camps in Morrow County in the past century.
