The Baron’s Legacy

        Baron Bunny, for years the pharmacist in Cornersville knew more than most doctors.  Miss

Mousie, his loyal assistant during those years,  and now his housekeeper watches over his every

 need. As the senior resident in Cornersville, the old gentleman remembers when the railroad moved through at Petticoat Junction and how the townsfolk set their watches and clocks by the train whistle.  Last summer, Deary Deer, the principal at Gorman, asked Baron if he would give a talk to the high school students on the Cornersville history.

        “Why, Mrs. Deer, it’d be my pleasure,” Baron responded.

       A heavy downpour fell the morning of the high school assembly, but students were in their  seats sitting quietly when the town’s revered gentleman made his way to the podium assisted by his shiny black cane. Miss Mousie watched proudly from behind a curtain to the left of the stage.

     “Good morning students,” Baron Bunny warmly addressed the eager bunch before him. “I’ll have question and answer time after I finish so be thinking of questions you might have.”

      He began telling them about his grandparents who had moved to this area in the middle of a  drought before the turn of the century. “They lived through the Great Depression here, two World Wars, and rationing.” he said. He told of the railroad coming, the picture show, the building of the dam, and paved roadways.

        The bulk of his time The Baron spent recalling for the student body one tragic event in the life of the small community: “You will want to remember it’s been over 20 years since the tornado hit downtown in Cornersville.” The auditorium crowd, so quiet you could hear a pencil drop, seemed anxious to gather every word the oldest resident offered.

       “The Corner Drug Store, where I  worked 45 years, flew upwards in the torrent and its remains  strewn for about 10 blocks. That’s where Mister Murphy’s Grocery Store stands today. The Lollipop Candy Store once sat on the corner of Main and 3^rd Street;  it was destroyed by the horrific winds of the tornado and the quilt shop built there the next year (The Raveling).” He cleared his throat. 

       “Two places I think may be your favorites remained untouched: the Paramount Theatre with its great neon sign still in place, and Waltrip’s Bakery, now The Rose.  For weeks following the tornado clean-up, the tire store employees gathered their outside display of tires from blocks away, some from roof-tops.

     You may have heard the story of the Cornersville Church dome. My father stood inside the bakery and saw the winds lift that heavy done upwards for an instant, then set it back in its original place! Unbelievable, don’t you think?” he asked.

   “Just look at our downtown today.” he concluded, “A really fine square with all the pecan trees lining the park.”   He glanced over at Mrs. Deer, who sat smiling.

      A hand went up near the front of the auditorium,  “Someone told us the courthouse has ghosts living in it since the tornado.” And the Baron quickly acknowledged,

     “ I don’t know about any ghosts taking residence in that historic place, but I do know it houses the records of our town and our wonderful county. I think you’d be amazed by how much information that building holds.” He paused to take a sip of water from the glass on the podium, then continued, “From long ago land records and outlaws roaming the countryside, to every birth, these facts are listed in those files in the basement. If you need information of any kind about this area, you can find what all has gone on in this community since the courthouse was built in 1889,” and Baron’s large frame shook as he chuckled a bit thinking about all the history the old building held.

      Right then the bell rang in the hall and he waved, “Thank you, students. You were a good audience.”

       On the way back to the classroom one student told another, “The Baron really knows our history, doesn’t he?”

     “Yes, I’m excited.” she said,  “I’m going to ask my grandparents for their stories.”

   “I will, too” her classmate echoed.”

      “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things which you have not known.” Jeremiah 33:3 (RSV)