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Pages of History
The month of December, 1945, was ushered in by an unwelcome visitor. “Old Man Winter really came to town Saturday evening,” said the Advocate. The temperature went down to around 20 above and wind added to the discomfort. The situation continued until Monday when the skies cleared and the sun brought almost summerlike weather again. There would be more snow a week later and more after that.
The Advocate of Dec. 5 noted the Christmas season was just getting underway. Main Street had not yet been decorated due to a shortage of Christmas trees.
“When they arrive the decorations will be put in place,“ said the Advocate. “Just how many colored lights can be put up remains to be seen as it is impossible to secure colored bulbs to replace the ones broken last year.“ It was announced that Laurel stores would remain open every evening from December 19 until after Christmas. “There is a scarcity of merchandise all over the country,“ warned the Advocate. “We suggest you do your shopping right away as there will be no more merchandise when the present stocks are exhausted.“ The scarcity of merchandise was due in part to the war. Many factories that had been converted to manufacturing guns, ammunition, and other war material, were still in the process of retooling to produce civilian goods.
There was a heavy demand for new cars but few were available because of strikes. As of December 1, only about 50,000 new cars had been produced out of an expected goal of 500,000. The United Auto Workers (UAW) union was demanding a 30 percent wage increase to get back to work. Production workers at GM were then earning between $1.12 and $1.15 an hour. Other industries were plagued by strikes as well.
Although striking reindeer did not prevent Santa from making his appointed rounds, a blizzard may have. Santa was supposed to make his annual appearance in the City Auditorium on Monday, December 24, bringing bags of candy and nuts to the children of Laurel and surrounding territory. But there was no mention of his visit in the Advocate of December 26.
Santa may have been forced to divert his sleigh when a major snow storm arrived the day of his scheduled stop in Laurel. By nightfall wind-driven snow blocked roads and caused the cancellation of many Christmas parties and family gatherings. “You guys who are always hollering for a white Christmas ought to be satisfied,“ said Editor Allison. “After getting off the business end of a snow shovel we were not too enthusiastic about it.“ “It’s marvelous what Christmas can do for the disposition of youngsters,” said Editor Allison. “Suddenly they will even run an errand without being told, politeness becomes an outstanding virtue, and they obey without an argument. But 15 minutes after the gifts have been opened, they revert back to type.“ In other news of December 1945: There was a new assistant at the Advocate. His name was Roger Hill and he recently had been discharged after serving four years in the Navy. Before that he published the Allen news.
A flu epidemic swept through the area in early December and would last until the end of the month. Laurel was not especially hard hit but other places were. The Hartington school had to be dismissed for several days because so many teachers and students were down with the flu.
Laurel finally exceeded its quota in the Victory Loan drive by raising almost $1000 over its $22,500 quota. This, the last bond drive of the war, was supposed to be used to help bring soldiers home. Since VE Day, nearly 2.5 million soldiers had been returned from overseas.
Laurel veterans returning in December included Gerald Cherry, Donald Hogelin, Elmer Munter, Gilbert Krie, Bill Wickett, and Donovan Steenbock.
Mr. and Mrs. Craig Addison entered their two sons in a Better Baby contest in Sioux City. Out of the 470 children entered in the contest, 12-month old Carroll Addison took first place in his age group and his two-year-old brother Clark came in second in his. Carroll received a blue ribbon, a health certificate, and a screen test from a Hollywood movie company. “When granddad Ed Mackey heard about it, he busted all the buttons off his Sunday go-to-meeting vest,“ said the Advocate.
Recently returned veteran Warren “Breezy” Kint announced plans to open a restaurant on Main Street in the building vacated by the Laurel Maytag Co. The Maytag company moved to the building recently occupied by Hubert Fleer’s U&I grocery store and Fleer moved to the building directly across the street from the Advocate office.
Mr. and Mrs. Forrest Olson of Armour, South Dakota, bought Louis Silver’s Red and White store. After 26 years in business, Laurel’s only Jewish businessman decided to retire in California.
Mrs. John Manz sold her house in Concord at auction. Clarence Tuttle bought it for $380.
Magnus Hansen advertised his dairy farm for sale. All equipment and dairy cows included.
E.W. Steenbock, who had been Laurel’s Burlington depot agent for the past quarter century was notified that he would be transferred to Louisville, NE, in the near future.
After putting out a massive 18-page edition Dec. 19 followed by a 14-pager Dec. 26, Editor Allison said “Darned if we’re going to get any more newspapers out this year. But we will be back next year, strong as horseradish.“ But not for long. In January, 1946, Mrs. Allison’s health began deteriorating. In April Allison would sell the Advocate to Roger Hill. There would be no more Black Ford stories after that.
Roger Tryon, a Laurel High School graduate, is a retired teacher. He has been writing a column about Cedar County history for 35 years, now.
