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Newsletter of the Town of Porter Historical Society
Vol. 22, No. 4, December, 1998
Vee L. Housman, Editor
Normally, Porter's Past isn't published during the month of
December because of the holidays, but because I [the Editor!] want to
continue with the fun of gathering up all sorts of interesting items
to share with our membership, bear with me as I endulge myself.
I have no particular subject in mind to report on; just a random
selection of articles out of old newspapers. Hopefully, it will
present an overall sample of just the everyday news of the happenings
in our Town of Porter. Here goes!
YOUNGSTOWN
RANSOMVILLE
RANSOMVILLE -- The safe of W. H. H. Ransom & Son was broken open on Tuesday evening. The thieves gained an entrance to the store through a rear window. No money was in the safe at the time. A few articles, such as silk handkerchiefs, caps, slippers, etc., are all that has been missed at the present writing.
This isn't the standard reminder of what Sunday, December 7, 1941, meant to our families or to our nation; just a refresher course in what was happening during the remaining days of December 1941 in our area.
Dec. 8, 1941
-- Niagara Falls Is Armed Camp as Troops Man Defense Posts
--Falls Airport Well Guarded
-- City Plans Protection of Public Utilities Here Against Sabotage
-- Many Niagara Falls Men Serving With Army, Navy in the New Area
-- Yarn Available: Red Cross Calls for Volunteers to Knit Sweaters for
Armed Forces
Dec. 9, 1941
-- O'Ryan Says Foe Might Hit State Areas In Surprise Move
-- Only Japanese Resident of Falls Sees Attack as Japanese Suicide [Theodore T. Kondo]
Dec. 10, 1941
-- New Warning of Possible Attack Spurs Defense Efforts at Falls
-- Bonds between United States and Canada Tightened By Common War
-- Be Calm, Seek Cover If Bomb Raid Alarm Is Sounded
-- Falls Boys Club Organizes Aid To America Society
-- Tempo of Air Raid Groups Stepped Up
-- Club for Service Men To Be Used By Soldiers On Guard Duty Here
-- 13 Men Enlist With Navy Here
Dec. 11, 1941
-- May Postpone Practice Blackout At Falls Until After Christmas
-- Volunteers To Be Sought For River Patrol
Dec. 12, 1941
-- Defense Stamp Sales Call Upon Ingenuity of Gazette Carriers
-- Collect Paper To Aid America
-- Air Raid Group Plans Gifts For Men In Service
Dec. 13, 1941
-- Falls Blackout Precautions Are Called Ready For Scheduled Test
Dec. 15, 1941
-- Guns May Guard Frontier Plants From Air Raids
-- AT WAR WITH GERMANY SINCE 1917, TUSCARORAS PLAN NEW DECLARATION
-- Red Cross Sends Iceland Soldiers Christmas Gifts
-- Food Dispatched To Prisoners In German Camps By Red Cross Here
Dec. 16, 1941
-- What School Teachers and Pupils Should Do In Case Of Air Raids
Dec. 17, 1941
FALLS SAILOR IS REPORTED KILLED IN HAWAII ACTION
-- John L. Madera Officially Listed As Dead
Dec. 19, 1941
REPORTED KILLED
-- William Barr, fireman, second class, U.S.N.
FALLS YOUTH IS WOUNDED BY JAPS
-- James A. Rader Among Hickham Field Casualties
etc. etc. etc.
YOUNGSTOWN RED CROSS TO ORGANIZE FOR ACTIVE WORK TOMORROW EVENING
. . .A community Red Cross meeting will be held in the auditorium
of the Youngstown High School tomorrow evening at 7:30
o'clock. . . Everyone is urged to attend this meeting both from
Youngstown and Ransomville and help to organize for immediate and
active work. Members of the fire department are urged to turn
out.
. . . In its first blackout rehearsal on Friday night [Dec. 26], the
people of Youngstown are proud of the result. According to observers,
the lights in every building, both business and dwellings in the
community, were extinguished immediately after the alert siren at 11
o'clock, with one exception. It is said that there was one house on
the west side of Second Street north of Lockport Street in which the
lights were lit throughout the blackout. What action the authorities
will take regarding this violation of the law is not known.
. . .Dr. Lewis W. Falkner, mayor of Youngstown, is deeply gratified at
the result and wishes to thank the fire company, athletic association
and the people of the village for their excellent cooperation not only
in the blackout but also in the work of the Civil Defense
organization. Dr. Falkner also said that the officials at Fort
Niagara had been of great assistance.
Cigarette prices are not raised here. Lucky Strikes, Camels, Old Golds, Chesterfields are $.15 to $.17 per pack. Cigarettes from vending machines are $.17 per pack, with 3 pennies change under the cellophane wrapper.
Editor's note. In May of 1994 when I was researching the early World War II years of the Niagara Falls area, I jotted this information down. At the time, I realized the significance of it. Under the subject of "Year's Events," the Gazette mentions the single fact that on Oct. 25, 1941, Joseph E. Patterson, age 90, of 437 Eighth Street, died. He was the last surviving Civil War veteran in Niagara Falls. In my mind it represented the final ending of a very old war and the beginning of a new one. Sigh!
CROWDS HAMPER FORT ACTIVITIES
Hint at Ban on Farewells to Selectees
FORT NIAGARA--Crowds of parents, brothers, sisters, cousins, and
friends who come to this post daily to see the selectees, here for
induction and processing, have become so large that they interfere
with the work of the post.
Colonel Clayton J. Herman, commander of the Fort Niagara Reception
center, stated today that he is willing to have parents and perhaps a
brother and sister come to say good-bye to their loved ones but he
strongly urged the rest to say their good-byes at home.
It is no uncommon sight to see the selectees who left home but a few
hours before have 10 to 15 visitors. These folks even crowd into
buses waiting to take the boys to the place of entrainment. It is
thought that the post may be closed entirely if this practice is not
stopped. It is said that there are many cases in which the folks
arrive at the fort before the selectees themselves. . . .
(Formerly "Vital Statistics")
NOTE: A digital camera has been donated to the society by Bill Spry and Vee Housman. They have been testing it out in the museum in preparation of photographing our artifacts, documents, pictures, cemetery tombstones, etc. The camera plugs directly into the computer and the resulting photographs show up in seconds onto the computer screen. It is the editor's opinion that the whole operation is MAGIC!
Season's Greetings from our old neighbor and town settler, Pearsall B. Powell and a MERRY CHRISTMAS to one and all!
Contributed by Vee L. Housman, courtesy of Town of Porter Historical Society.
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