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The first postwar election was held on Tuesday, Nov. 5. It was an off-year election so there were no presidential candidates on the ballot.
Even though the turnout was low, the results indicated that voters were fed up after more than 20 years of Democratic party rule. Republicans took control of both houses of Congress by large margins.
A dozen states switched from Democrat to Republican senators and 20 normally Democratic states elected Republican governors.
In Cedar County, Republican candidates won by wide margins. Cedar County voters also rejected a constitutional amendment to provide $40 per pupil state aid to schools. The vote was 652 in favor and 2939 against. A right-to-work amendment was approved by a vote of 2375 to 1054. Voters also approved the sale of the county poor farm by a vote of 2283 to 757.
The poor farm was located on the southwest quarter of Section 12, Township 30 North, Range 1 East. This would be about a mile and a half south of Hartington at the intersection of Highway 57 and 880 Road.
According to County Commissioner B. H. Shager, the farm had not been used to house indigent people for 20 years.
Four of the last five inmates were removed in 1926. The one who remained was too feeble minded to place elsewhere.
Snow started falling the day after the election. By the time it ended on Sunday, 16 inches of snow had blocked roads and made travel all but impossible. Corn picking, already delayed by a record amount of rain in October, was set back even further. Farmers reported the corn that had been picked was too wet to put in cribs and picking with a mechanical picker was almost impossible.
Snow forced the postponement of Immanuel Lutheran’s 50th anniversary celebration slated for Sunday, Nov. 9. The celebration was held the following Sunday. Among the speakers were Rev. Herman A. Hilpert, Immanuel’s first resident pastor and his son Rev. Herman M. Hilpert, who served briefly as vacancy pastor between the time Rev. Wille left in 1944 and Rev. Niermann arrived in 1945. Rev. Matthew A. Hilpert, a great-grandson of Immanuel’s first pastor, is currently a Lutheran pastor in Pasadena, Maryland.
At the time of the 1946 celebration, two of the original charter members – Henry Kuhnhenn and Herman Shinkle - were still living, but unable to attend. Several children of the late William Hofeldt, another original member, were present for the celebration. Hofeldt was a great-grandfather of this writer.
According to census information, Cedar County’s farm income had more than doubled since 1940. The total value of livestock and crops in 1945 was said to be more than $11 million.
Since 1940 the number of farm homes with electricity had increased from 552 to 988. Increased demand for running water, indoor bathrooms, and modern kitchens also was reported.
Due to a decrease in the bird population, the State Game Commission shortened the pheasant season in the eastern part of the state by 27 days. The bag limit, however, was left at seven birds.
On Nov. 19, seven hunters from Pennsylvania were arrested near Laurel after being caught with 140 pheasants and more than 100 jack rabbits in their possession. They were originally charged with taking 90 pheasants illegally, which would have amounted to a fine of $1800. But when the men told Judge Hesse that they were recently discharged veterans who could not afford to buy meat for their families, the fine was lowered to $420. As the men had only $141 between them they were allowed to return home with a promise to pay the remaining balance. They also were allowed to keep seven birds each. (They did have enough money to drive two vehicles from Pittsburgh to Laurel to go hunting.)
On Nov. 12, Daniel D. Coburn died in Compton, California, where he had moved when he left Laurel a couple of months earlier.
His body was brought back to Laurel for burial. Coburn came to Laurel in 1894 and opened a grocery store. In 1910 he and M.T. Sullivan started Laurel‘s first auto dealership. Coburn was the grandfather of the late actor, James Coburn, who was born in Laurel.
