The Robinson Argus January 30th, 1997 article on radio in home life, in the "I Remember When" series by Don Catt.
Our first radio was an Atwater Kent. It used two dry cell batteries, a "B" and a "C", I think, plus a car battery. It was at least 30 inches long and had three tuning dials. Our next one used a "Power-pack." All of the batteries were combined in one pack, and the radios weren't half as big.
One of our favorite radio shows was Lum and Abner and the "goings-on" down at the "Jot-'em-down-store."
One of our first plastics was called celluloid. It was used a lot to make pocket combs. It burned easily, so if a boy had a broken comb, he usually set it afire, especially if there were a lot of people around. And did it ever stink. But, of course, it wouldn't have been any fun if it didn't.
We practically lived by the TV for four or five days when President Kennedy was assassinated. Although time has taught me to know better, I still find it hard to believe that someone in our United States of America would even try to kill our President. With no presumption of innocence, when I heard that Lee Harvey Oswald had been killed, my first thoughts were (and of course I was wrong), "He just got what he deserved."
People took party politics more seriously than they do now. They rarely admitted splitting their ticket, and I've known a few that I believe would have voted for the Devil himself, rather than vote for someone of the other party.
The candidates gave away lots of small pins and we tried to collect as many different ones as we could. Some kids had them pinned all over their caps. Elmer Taylor was township clerk and precinct committeeman, so we could depend on him to get us a few buttons. When I think of the price those old pins are now, I wish I had saved a few of them.
For a few years in the mid-'40s, a lot of people put insulated brick or stone design siding on their homes. They were much warmer than the old weather boarded homes that were not insulated, but they weren't very attractive. Most of them were eventually covered with aluminum siding.
Probably due to lack of money, many houses needed painting or repairing, some for several years. Our landlord painted our house only once during the 17 years that I lived there.
With carpets on the floors, insulation in the walls and ceiling and a furnace in the basement, I've decided that in the winter, the "good old days" are now!
Caps were "in." Men wore caps made of everything from leather to tweed, some even had ear "flaps" that could be folded down to keep our ears warm. In summer, we could find lightweight open weave caps which were cooler.
I remember reading about dance marathons, which were the craze for a while. Since they had no jobs, couples would dance, often for days, with only a few minutes off each hour to rest. The last couple to collapse would win a few dollars as the prize, but at least it was money.
When Franklin Roosevelt became president he started the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps). Several boys from around Port Jackson served until the Army began drafting them for military service. They received food, clothing, shelter, and a dollar a day (most of which was sent home to their families) for clearing brush, setting trees and developing many of our state and federal parks. The program created thousands of jobs and helps to make our parks what they are today.
The counties had a "relief program" but many needy people, especially the older ones, felt it was shameful and refused to accept it, preferring to do without.
The WPA probably helped as much as anything around Port Jackson. It made jobs for a lot of people. We probably owe most of the rural roads and bridges to the WPA.