I wonder what ever happened to the cigarette case that was autographed by Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, Hitler and Mussolini.

It was owned by Dowagiac’s famous newspaperman, Webb Miller.

I’m sure it would be worth a fortune now.

Do you know that nice picture of the Colby Mill that a lot of folks have in their homes or at least have seen the picture?

We always called it the upper mill, the one by the curve as you left town for Cassopolis.

It was torn down in 1948.

It was said to be the most-photographed mill in America.

When I went to Oak Street School in 1936, we had four schools, Lincoln, Oak, McKinley and Central High School.

Now, 64 years later, in 2010, we have four schools in the city, Justus Gage, Patrick Hamilton, the middle school and Union High School.

Jan. 13, 1975: Three Heddon men retired. They were Harold Barney, 51 years; Phil Stahl, 26 years; and Carl Behrmann, 27 years. Boy, three men with a total of 104 years, not bad, huh?

There used to be a lot of pot-bellied stoves, but old P.D. Beckwith never made one.

In 1983, Mrs. Luella Yaw of Dowagiac gave a gift of an old 1871 washing machine to our college museum.

There was a nice picture of her and the machine, which was made in Dowagiac.

The Jessup factory started on M-152 near the old Red Mill, moved to the Pray building, which I remember as the Co-Ops. It later was moved to his home on Prairie Ronde Street.

I’ve been given an article written by Keith Russom, a fellow I knew quite well.

It was titled Sharpshooter’s life researched.

Samuel Ingling, a Cass County boy, was arguably the best shot in the Civil War.

At one time, Samuel won a silver medal for the 1st Regiment and 2nd Regiment.

In the shootout, Samuel’s score took the gold medal.

In 1988, local historian Charles Springsteen said the choice of the word Chieftains was first used in relation to two Indian Dowagiac baseball players back around 1920.

Our yearbook Wahoo was first used in 1916.

Things I’ve read in some old Dowagiac papers given to me recently, in Cass County folks used to trap large flocks of quail in the winter.

They were dressed and sold by the pail full at the grocery for sugar, coffee, codfish, etc.

It was said John Coulter killed four bears in just a few hours.

For the several people who called me and wanted my book when I was sold out, I was lucky and now have a few more of Dowagiac’s Cardinal Charlie Remembers. Just give me a call if anyone wants one, 782-2992.

“Cardinal Charlie” Gill writes a nostalgic weekly column about growing up in the Grand Old City. E-mail him at cardinalcharlie@hotmail.com.