A Jan. 5, 1897, newspaper reported that “a Warren County ruralist brought a curiosity to Bowling Green in the shape of a pure white coon.”

Research suggests it had a rare condition called albinism, an absence of pigmentation. The probability of a raccoon being born with this condition is only 1 in 750,000; by contrast, albinism in deer is 1 in 20,000, and squirrels are 1 in 100,000. In fact, it is said that you are more likely to get struck by lightning than to see a white raccoon.

– “Way Back When in Warren County” is compiled by researchers at the Warren County Public Library and appears twice weekly in the Bowling Green Daily News. For more information about the library, visit warrenpl.org.