Our Past Is Present December 19, 2018

December 19, 2018

                This is “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.

            Today, we will again be sharing more about past Christmases in our County.  This information was taken from a series of articles written by Gaylynn Childs, our former Executive Director of the Geary County Historical Society. She used this material for a presentation titled “A Century’s Worth of Christmas”, which was presented at the Museum on December 2, 1999.

            “The 1940s dawned with the gloom of a war once again raging in Europe hanging over our land.  When the infamous deeds of December 7, 1941, plunged America into the conflict, it seemed almost a relief, for now we knew what we had to do and we rolled up our sleeves and got to it.

            In Junction City, Christmas of 1941 was one of contrasts.  The colorful outdoor lighting displays, which graced both residential and business district streets that year, perhaps weren’t savored quite enough for they would be the last until wartime black outs were over in 1945.

            At the same time, local residents were reminded that the American flag could be kept flying all night when the country was at war, and all were urged to fly the flag through the holiday season. 

            Two days before Christmas, it was announced that the new recreation center for colored soldiers, under construction on West 18^th Street, would be ready for use by January 1.  It was to provide the finest accommodations for the recreation needs of the colored troops.”

            Be listening tomorrow as we continue with more on the “Christmas Activities in the 1940s” on “Our Past Is Present” from the Geary County Historical Society.