Yesterday I listed all the inhabitants of Chattanooga, Ohio, as they were recorded in the 1940 census. After that I decided I wanted to learn more about what was going on in the village back in 1940. So I went to the Mercer County Public Library in Celina and looked through several April 1940 issues of the local newspaper, The Daily Standard. At that time the newspaper ran a column with little news items about Chattanooga. Below are some things that were going on in Chatt in April 1940:
Miss Matilda Bollenbacher spent Saturday night and Sunday with Miss Georgie Reinhart at Celina.
Mrs. Melvin Moser and Mrs. John Regedenz and Mrs. And Mrs. Luther Gibbons and daughter spent Tuesday evening with Mrs. Vivian Carr.
Mr. & Mrs. Robert Clase and son moved into part of the house belonging to W.W. Baker, the first of the week.
Jake Duff purchased a ’37 Chevrolet at the Wendel motor sales on Monday evening.
Mrs. Dewey Gibbons was a Wednesday dinner guest of Mrs. Effie Morrison near Rockford. The dinner was in honor of Mrs. Carl Brandt of Rockford, who celebrated her birthday.
Mr. & Mrs. Floyd Vining left for their home at Buckley, Mich., the latter part of last week.
Mr. & Mrs. Dwight Raudenbush and family are quarantined for scarlet fever.
Richard Bollenbacher, son of Mr. & Mrs. Francis Bollenbacher celebrated his 10th birthday on Monday at his home here. Those present were Charles Myers, Jr, Paul Duff, Gordon and Paul Leistner, Donna Rose Andrews, Wando Lou and Robert Carr, Pauline Egger, Lila Lee Gibbons, Donald Mayor, Alfred Schott, Victor Andrews, Ann Lee Schott, Mr. & Mrs. Irvin Lugginbill and daughter Pearl. Mrs. & Mrs. Raymond Broerien and son Harold and Mr. & Mrs. Francis Bollenbacher and son Roger.
Mr. & Mrs. Conrad Heffner were Tuesday Celina shoppers.
Mrs. Walter Heffner has been on the sick list.
Mrs. William Lawson called on her mother Mrs. Minerva Dudgeon near Willshire Wednesday afternoon.
Mrs. Ivan Johnson is on the sick list.
Miss Donna Rose Andrews was a Wednesday overnight guest of Miss Ann Gibbons.
(Source of above news: The Daily Standard, Celina, Ohio, 6 April 1940, p. 2.)
Roger Bollenbacher was unable to be in school Thursday, due to illness.
Dr. Githens of Wren, O., was seen in this town Thursday.
Mrs. John Regedanz and Mrs. Vivian Carr did some papering for Mr. & Mrs. Luther Fisher Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Stubor are the proud parents of a baby boy born at their home near here March 28. He was named Thomas Eugene.
Miss Sanda Hoblet, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Hoblet, celebrated her 5th birthday on Friday afternoon, by having a number of her little friends in to help her observe the occasion.
Charles Gause is able to be back at work in the Schroeder barber shop.
Miss Goldie Baumgartner is confined to her bed at the home of her parents, ill with scarlet fever.
Mrs. Vivian Carr and Mrs. John Regedanz papered on Friday and Saturday at the homes of Fred Myers and William Schaadt.
Mr. & Mrs. Leo Slusser and daughter Kay spent Saturday evening at Van Wert.
Mrs. Ralph Baumgartner was taken to the hospital at Decatur on Sunday afternoon.
Mr. & Mrs. Jake Duff and son Paul and Mrs. Emma Duff spent Sunday afternoon with Mr. & Mrs. E. G. Butcher at Bryant, Ind. Mrs. Emma Duff remained for a longer visit.
Mrs. Rudolph Heffner has been on the sick list and Mrs. Art Bailey has also been ill.
Miss Lila Lee Gibbons, daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Luther Gibbons is confined to her bed due to illness.
Mr. & Mrs. Homer Carr and family of north of town and Mr. and Mrs. Orville Felver of Gas City, Ind., were Sunday dinner guests of Mrs. Vivian Carr and children.
Phil Hershberger of Farmland, Ind., spent Sunday and Monday at the home of his brother, Rev. & Mrs. Ben Hershberger and son, Steven Lee.
Dwight Raudenbush took a load of cattle to Indianapolis on Tuesday evening.
(Source of above news: The Daily Standard, Celina, Ohio, 11 April 1940, p. 5.)
As you can see, there was a lot of sickness in the Chatt area in April 1940. The census of Blackcreek Township, Liberty Township’s neighbor to the north, contained a sheet that was labeled “Scarlet Fever & Mumps” on the left side of the page. (ED 54-1, Blackcreek Township, Mercer County, Ohio, sheet 61A, no date written of the census was taken. Enumerator Philip L. Runyan.)
Names on the sick page:
1: White, Glen (farm operator), Glendora, Dorthy, Glen Jr
2: Carr, Dewey (state truck driver), Lillian, Calvin L
3: Hoblet, Lee Orville (farm operator), Anna R, Donald L (farm labor), Gerald L
4: Young, H O (farm operator), Abbie, Raymond A (farm labor)
5: Detro, William (farmer)
6: Gause, Ralph M (construction labor), William E
7: Bayles, John W (farm operator), Eve, Thomas
8: Bollenbacher, Ben (farmer), Rolland (farm operator), Clara, Harry
64 (cont): Plants, Charles (brother-in-law) [#64: the Albert Pontius household]
3 (cont) Schumm, Edgar (son) (mill feed factory labor) [#3: the LW Schumm household]
