63 years ago

[wingnut]

I found some old news papers in a trunk in grannys goat barn and have been a captive audience to them since. It's amazing to me how many articles there are about aircraft. Of course, I wasn't around then, so I can only speculate that because of the war and speed with which aviation progressed during that and the post war era were the reasons for so much coverage.

From the Mena Evening Star, March 4, 1947;

SETS FLIGHT MARK
"From the cockpit of his P-51 Mustang, Paul Mantz waves to spectators following his arrival at LaGuardia Field, N.Y., after breaking the cross-country non-stop flight record. He made the trip from Burbank, Cal. in 6 hours, 7 minutes and 5 seconds".

[15A]

Speaking of Granny's goat barn...

A little off topic, but I couldn't resist!

I removed the link. Tasteless

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Del, I really hate to find old local newspapers because there isn't enough time to read them. This is particularly hard because my family OWNED the local newspaper which started in 1878 by my Great Great Grandfather and I was the fifth generation of our family to work at the paper till it was sold in 1989. Newspaper production was my first career. Lots of the stories and editorials were written by my ancestors and in some cases about my ancestors as they were fairly prominent in the community. Most all of the editorials from 1960 to 1988 were written by my dad and a few of them were about ME.

[wingnut]

Wow Bruce!
Then you undoubtedly have access to some interesting history and perspective available. My grandparents house, constructed in 1940, is uninsulated and they used newspapers for wallpaper. I remember when I was a kid, most were still ledgible but I didn't take much interest in them at that time. I like reading them. It really demonstrates how far we've come, and how different life was. Like the real estate;

May 8 1957
80 acre farm. Nicely located less than 1 mile from paved hiway. All pick-up routes. Fenced and cross fenced and seeded to pasture. Watered by 2 springs and creek. Family size orchard. 5 room house, electricity and butane in. Outbuildings. A good buy at $3000.
Phone 238

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Wow within 1 mile of a paved road. Most places are at least 1/2 from a pave road today around your parts I'd guess.

I think it was very common for houses no matter were they are were to be insulated with newspapers at one time.

Yes we do take a lot for granted these days. Just the other day I was trying to remember how it was before everyone had a cell phone. Your ad phone number has just 3 digits. Growing up with the history of our paper and other local historical documents like the papers photo archive, I know lots of interesting local info.

For example when telephones where introduced to Souderton the papers phone numbers were 02 and 03 and my Great Grandfathers was 58 and my Great Great Grandfathers was 59. Imagine that. The paper had two phone lines. As numbers were added they had to add digits to the numbers. Eventually the papers phone number was 4802 and 4803 (they added 4801 at some point as well) and my grandfathers numbers changed to 2358 and 2359. All of these numbers are still in use today by the paper and relatives of mine. Of course in our neck of the woods today, where we can't find a dirt road if we wanted to, we have so may people with phones that we have to dial the area code for even a local call. So phone numbers were two digits when they started but in many areas like ours are now 10 digits.

What is scary is our paper has a column with news from 50, 75 and 100 years ago. At age 53 it won't be long till I start seeing articles there that I remember seeing the first time they were printed.

[hilltop170]

Speaking of grandfathers and phones, my dad's father went around thru the south back in the 20's and 30's and installed entire phone systems in small towns that did not have service. He set the poles, strung the wires, installed the switching equipment, and hired the operators to connect the callers to the callees. Back then, there was only one phone line into town and everyone on a branch line in town had a distinctive ring on a party line, they didn't even have phone numbers yet.

Where we live in Texas, Gillespie County, is where Lyndon B. Johnson was born. The county was covered with one lane dirt roads. When he was president, somehow, a 6000' paved airstrip got built on his ranch and a VOR was installed a couple miles due south of his runway which just happened to get a VOR approach. And, ALL the dirt roads got paved. Today there is not one dirt road in Gillespie County. Gotta love that pork! Sooeee! Sure makes for some nice sunset drives with a cold Lone Star and a cute girl though. And Bluldr, she's NOT my daughter, just looks like it.

[blueldr]

Sixty three years is quite a stretch. In 1947 I was in Fairbanks, Alaska, stationed at Ladd AFB flying mostly a Noorduyn Norseman on wheels, skis, or floats and having the time of my life. I had my own airplane up there too. A Stnson L-5G. I guess I'd still be there if I had my druthers. I hated to leave in 1951. They transferred me to Randolph AFB, Texas, as a flight engineer instructor on B-29s for the Korean conflict. I spent two years doing that and then went out to Mather AFB in california to fly T-29s, Convair 240s. Nicest two engine airplane I ever flew. In 1957 I went to B-47s in SAC.
Damn! Those were the days. I loved the Air Force. They had a hell of a lot of really neat airplanes to fly. The dirty bastards retired me in 1964 when I was only forty-four years old and here I am at eighty-eight and the dummys are still paying me but they don''t let me fly anymore. Their loss!

[ronjenx]

Sixty three years is quite a stretch. In 1947 I was in Fairbanks, Alaska, stationed at Ladd AFB flying mostly a Noorduyn Norseman on wheels, skis, or floats and having the time of my life. I had my own airplane up there too. A Stnson L-5G. I guess I'd still be there if I had my druthers. I hated to leave in 1951. They transferred me to Randolph AFB, Texas, as a flight engineer instructor on B-29s for the Korean conflict. I spent two years doing that and then went out to Mather AFB in california to fly T-29s, Convair 240s. Nicest two engine airplane I ever flew. In 1957 I went to B-47s in SAC.
Damn! Those were the days. I loved the Air Force. They had a hell of a lot of really neat airplanes to fly. The dirty bastards retired me in 1964 when I was only forty-four years old and here I am at eighty-eight and the dummys are still paying me but they don''t let me fly anymore. Their loss!

I spent 10 years at Randolph, ('72 to '82) as a mechanic on T-29, T-34, T-37, T-38, T-39, T-41, C-131, AND C-118. My shop was called Aero Repair (AR Shop), and later Repair and Reclamation (R&R Shop). Randolph was a great base to live and work.

[wingnut]

Sixty three years is quite a stretch. In 1947 I was in Fairbanks, Alaska, stationed at Ladd AFB flying mostly a Noorduyn Norseman on wheels, skis, or floats and having the time of my life. I had my own airplane up there too. A Stnson L-5G. I guess I'd still be there if I had my druthers. I hated to leave in 1951. They transferred me to Randolph AFB, Texas, as a flight engineer instructor on B-29s for the Korean conflict. I spent two years doing that and then went out to Mather AFB in california to fly T-29s, Convair 240s. Nicest two engine airplane I ever flew. In 1957 I went to B-47s in SAC.
Damn! Those were the days. I loved the Air Force. They had a hell of a lot of really neat airplanes to fly. The dirty bastards retired me in 1964 when I was only forty-four years old and here I am at eighty-eight and the dummys are still paying me but they don''t let me fly anymore. Their loss!

blueldr,
What "new" aircraft might this article be referring to?

Mena Evening Star, January 11, 1950

JET BOMBERS HAVE TOP SPEED OF 600 MILES HOUR
Washington, Jan. 11 (U.P)- At the close of World War II, our fighter planes had reached a top speed of about 400 miles an hour.
Now, less than five years later those planes are as obsolete as a bow and arrow. For the Air Force is starting to build, not trim fighters, but giant bombers, with a top speed of better than 600 miles an hour.
The ships are a new version of the B-47 jet bomber. And what's more, the six-engined sky giants have a range of more than 4,000 miles. Experimental versions of the new ship already have been flown. The Air Force is ordering about 95 of them, and the first of these planes should be ready by the end of the year.

[wingnut]

Speaking of grandfathers and phones, my dad's father went around thru the south back in the 20's and 30's and installed entire phone systems in small towns that did not have service. He set the poles, strung the wires, installed the switching equipment, and hired the operators to connect the callers to the callees. Back then, there was only one phone line into town and everyone on a branch line in town had a distinctive ring on a party line, they didn't even have phone numbers yet.

Where we live in Texas, Gillespie County, is where Lyndon B. Johnson was born. The county was covered with one lane dirt roads. When he was president, somehow, a 6000' paved airstrip got built on his ranch and a VOR was installed a couple miles due south of his runway which just happened to get a VOR approach. And, ALL the dirt roads got paved. Today there is not one dirt road in Gillespie County. Gotta love that pork! Sooeee! Sure makes for some nice sunset drives with a cold Lone Star and a cute girl though. And Bluldr, she's NOT my daughter, just looks like it.

That's interesting. We didn't have the 3 digit prefix until early 70's and still had party lines until 1983.

And Bruce, I drive 4 miles of dirt and 9 miles paved coming to work. Most county roads here are still dirt with good ole wooden bridges or low water concrete (drive through the water). If it's flooding, I'm stuck at home or hangar. Good thing is that Polk County is where 7 major rivers start, so the streams are pretty small, thus rise and fall quickly.

[wingnut]

Headlines December 6, 1945;

FIVE NAVY PLANES GO MISSING OFF FLORIDA COAST.....


Mena Evening Star, Dec 6, 1945

EVERYTHING READY FOR BIG POSSUM FEAST
Everything seemed to be in readiness Thursday for the big banquet Friday night when the Polk County Possum Club hits the come-back trail and resumes its annual meetings which were suspended during the war.
Indications are that there will be a large crowd in attendance, with more than 450 tickets reported already sold. Reports from Little Rock say that at least five carloads of club members and candidates are coming over including several state officials, and Arkansas’ famous author, columnist, and exponent of etiquette, wobble-water and quails, Hardy (Spider) Rowland.
General Chairman Hal Norwood of the arrangements committee, who will be toastmaster tomorrow night, announced today that the auditorium doors would open at 7 o’clock Friday night and everyone was ask to be in their seats by 7:30.
Deputy Hensley reminds everyone to leave any home made beverages at home, due to mixed company. He says you know who you are.
Isabel France, who had been listed on the program, notified Mr. Norwood Thursday morning that due to illness she would be unable to attend. Her spot on the program will be taken by Will Steel, prominent Texarkana attorney.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

You've really gotten bit hard Del. Put down the paper and walk away before it's to late.

You know Del one of the things I like about this association is it has given me an excuse to visit places I'd never otherwise visit. Just this year I flew for the first time ever into Minnesota. My wife and I were amazed at the endless square mile road network that never stopped. No road around here is that straight or goes that far. Then I realized most of the roads I was looking at were dirt. While I'd seen public dirt roads on TV, I'd never really seen so many public dirt roads in person. I kind of wished I was driving down one in an old Chevy pickup kicking up a dirt dust storm behind me.

The world I live in here in the north east is so different than so much of our country it is hard for me to imagine.

[GAHorn]

.... My grandparents house, constructed in 1940, is uninsulated and they used newspapers for wallpaper. I remember when I was a kid, most were still ledgible but I didn't take much interest in them at that time. I like reading them. It really demonstrates how far we've come, and how different life was....

That may be a Depression-era thing....or it may have been an Arkansas thing. My maternal grandmother (Glenwood, Arkansas ...about 50 miles from Del) had a bedroom and a storeroom in her house papered with newspapers. I don't know why those old folks thought newspapers were suitable to cover plain wood walls. (I guess if you had a herd of pet silverfish it'd keep them fed.)

She didn't have an inside bathtub until I was 10 or 11....I remember batheing on the back-porch in a No-2 washtub and the water was heated on the butane-powered kitchen stove, which had replaced the wood-stove about 1954. I was lucky if I was the FIRST person to use the tub of bath-water. Being No.2 wasn't too bad....but No. 3 had a cold and murky bath!

[wingnut]

Bruce, I understand your amazement with how things are different all across the country. Believe it or not, I'm yankee by birth; Millville, NJ. My biological father, whom I've never met, lives in Wilmington. My mother moved back home to AR when I was 11 days old. I drove to NJ to visit my paternal grandparents and my younger half sister (I didn't even know I had) for the first time when I was 21. Talk about amazement! It's definately a different world up there.

George, I'm probably the last generation to experience what you speak of. My grandparents here lived that way until 2001 when they moved into a mobile home just up the hill from the old house. Up until then, no indoor plumbing, they carried all water from a spring, cooked on a wood cookstove, heated with wood. They did have electricity, for refrigeration/freezers and a pull string light bulb in each room, all wiring visible, in the mid fifties. They got a phone in 1968, but I remember it was sinful to even think about using it except for absolute necessity. Maybe because it was party line, and was courtesy to avoid tieing up the lines except for important stuff. When I spent time with them in the summer, I remember catching fish, which granny would not cook until breakfast next day to avoid getting the house hot before bed, baths in the creek or washtub, and raw warm cow milk, home made butter, coon for Thanksgiving, and goose at Christmas. Granddad grew peanuts, and our Christmas present every year was peanut brittle. I wouldn't want to live that way, but would not trade the experience for anything. Granny died in 03' at age 89 and grandad is in a nursing home with alztimers (spelling?) age 96. I often wish my kids could experience what I did. At least they have first hand stories.

[ron74887]

Speaking of old newspapers. In the late 60's early 70's helping mama redo an old picture from her mother. Removed the back and papers that held the picture in place. just like it was printed the day before "Lincoln shot and killed" head lines. So, someone had the forsite to put that particular paper behind the picture--probably thinking this will surprise someone some day--it did. Mama put it up (uncovered) and in the next years it age qiuckly. I now have it between glass to be able to display it. Hopefully this will keep it from ageing even more. Ron