• Sunday-What'sUP August 23 - 04:06 pm

The fourth Sunday in August fell on the 22nd back in 1943. We now know, that was the day Bert deVriendt captured this image, which was a featured Shoebox Memory a few years back. When it popped up in our Decade Review a couple of days ago, Richard Wieber left a personal note that sheds some light on this window in time:

That parade was on August 22, 1943 and I remember it well. It was my 12th birthday. The parade was part of a bond drive that included a mock tank battle on the west end of Hancock, near the beach. Am pretty sure Carol Lumbard, a big movie star of the time, and Clark Gable's girls friend, was one of the headliners. Big doings for a small town. The main reason I remember it so well was, during the show, we learned my brother, a paratrooper, had been wounded in North Africa and had just arrived at a hospital on Staten Island. My folks managed to visit him there, which was good for them, but he didn't make it. As my mother said,"At least we got to bury him back home and not in an unmarked grave in a strange land like so many other parents."

What a striking photo -- we so rarely see things like this nowadays, even with all of the parades that do happen.

Best of luck with the broadband grant! It would be a huge help for us up here.

I didn't realize that photo was from the 40s because it is so sharp and clear; it doesn't look like old photos usually do. Although when you look more closely at the subjects you see that most of the men are wearing hats; not the type of hats you see these day. Very nice picture and great history to go with it. Thanx!

R.C. Wetton emailed a photo this morning, and mentioned that he also was there at the war bond rally. A shot of the mock war scene out near the current County Arena area in west Hancock:

Carol Lombard, Clark Gable's wife, was killed in a plane crash
near Las Vegas in January 1942 while returning to Hollywood
from a War Bond rally in Indiana, so she couldn't have been at
the August 1943 rally in Hancock. Maybe it was a movie star
with a similar name, like Carole Landis. It would be interesting to
know.

I agree Larry, I seem to recall it was Landis.

There still is a strong force here in the US for our troops in todays wars. I know every time in the last couple weeks we see Illinois troops returning around here, my heart skips a beat in anticipation to my Jason's return. Expect to hear of it any day now. Now I'm anxious to hear where Aaron is,Iraq or Afganastan? There is a swell of citizens greetings the troops everywhere.

Larry, RCW, I seem to remember that too, also maybe hearing my Mom, Uncles & Aunts mentioning it.
Daily Mining Gazette Archives would have it?

BTW, which corner is this shown? I have 2 in mind but I'm sure either don't look this way nowadays!

I belive the old hospital is behind them Russ. And the part of the canal you can see is near Hancock bathing beach.

Thats the corner by to Old Golden Phesant, heading up to the corner across from the Scott Hotel

I was thinking as RCW. Aren't the buildings in the upper right what was in later years the VFW? Or maybe still is? Didn't notice though when we went by last year. I remember The Golden Pheasant real well! I remember that little white building in the center of the pic.---- BUT then how come we can't see the old bridge? Or is that the top of it we see over the little white building?
That really was a long time ago EH?

Gee, I can't recall the VFW being there, could have, I know there were apartments in one of them. That white building was a gas station and right across the street was the A & P store. Next to that was another Gas station which later was owned by Bruno, and is still operating by others now of course. The bridge isn't visible in this photo however.

The streetcars quit running in 1932. Interestingly enough, the rails are visible in this 1943 picture, more or less poking thru the pavement over them.

Today's picture was taken 2 days before I was born
in San Franciso, California. My father, Robert E. Houle and uncle, Joseph R. Houle, whose birthday I was born on, were out at sea on the USS Mt. Vernon. My grandmother, Anna Drouin Houle would have been celebrating her 65th birthday on the 22nd. I wonder if any Houle's were at the parade..or at the mock tank battle since the family home was/is located out in West Hancock. Uncle Joe, may he rest in peace, would have been 26 on that day in '43.

That would of been my 2 nd. guess. In later years in may of been Elk's Club, where you could bowl with pin setters.

Yes that is the corner David, right across from the Holiday gas station. The older buildings on the right I believe were the old Exley buildings that burned in the 70's. The shot is pointing east south east shot from the Duck.

Well maybe not the VFW per se, but some hall there, if we got the right corner, was my cousins wedding reception in 1985 that we went to.
Ah yes, Brunos Texaco! Was in there many times thru the years! The old A & P ! When we lived up on Pewabic right near the Quincy #2 in the 40s, my brother Bob, our neighbors the Odgers kids, Helen (Chamberlain) and her siblings would make the trek straight down Quincy Hill on the old path that came out somewhere near the stone steps at the old bridge, over to the A & P, get grocerys and back up the path to home. 10 minutes down, 1/2 hour or so back uphill! (puff puff) There was a spring coming out of the hill about half way, cool, clear, sweet water always! We would stop rest, drink from it before continuing our ascent! Those were the days,& memorys! What a view it was from there!