What was making news in our area during this week in years past? The History Museum offers these South Bend Tribune newspaper excerpts to give you an idea. Excerpts are typed as they appeared in print.
Aug. 16, 1901: “The annual picnic of the pioneers of northern Indiana and southern Michigan was held at Clear Lake, near Buchanan, Mich., yesterday. The attendance was the largest since these picnics have become annual events, fully 2,000 people being present. Although few were in attendance from South Bend, St. Joseph county sent a large delegation as did Berrien county, Mich.”
Aug. 17, 1911: “Charles Tasher, until recently clerk in the money order department of the postoffice, was today named as clerk or cashier of South Bend’s postal savings bank, which will open for business one week from to-morrow. W. I. Henderson will be assistant to Mr. Tasher.”
Aug. 18, 1920: “The Singer manufacturing company’s stock of cut dry-kilned veneer valued at about $150,000 was totally destroyed by early morning flames of unestablished origin which started in the northwest corner of the veneer storage shed at Olive and Division streets at 12:30 o’clock. The blaze was underway when firemen arrived on the job and for a time threatened the entire plant but was confined to the building where it started through heroic efforts on the part of the combined city fire fighting force.”
Aug. 19, 1932: “ “Please turn out the lights!” That is the watchword about the county courthouse these days. It is just one of the economy measures now in force in the county building. One official said today that the electric bills have been reduced nearly $100 a month under those of a year ago. Vault lights are used only when someone is in the vaults and offices that remain open during the noon hour are kept dark except for a light or two that may absolutely be necessary.”
Aug. 20, 1945: “The first faint rays of hope that their long vigils of waiting are ending have come to the families of 12 St. Joseph county men who have been prisoners of the Japanese since the early days of the war. And those hopes transmitted themselves in joyous phrases in 12 letters which have gone from South Bend to Washington on the first lap of their specially arranged journey to the bleak camps where those men have been held.”
Aug. 21, 1950: “The spectacular outburst of aurora borealis which covered almost the entire sky over South Bend Saturday night and early Sunday was the brightest since October, 1941, and probably the weirdest of all. The northern lights were so bright that they could be seen from lighted indoors and in the glare of city lights. Most unusual was the extreme speed at which the ghost-like forms flickered and jumped in the sky, continually changing their weird pattern.”
Aug. 22, 1966: “A 3.46-inch rainfall Sunday, most of it coming in the last six hours of the day, flooded Mishawaka streets and cars alike, and turned motorists into unwilling and wet pedestrians, but resulted in minor property damage according to city officials reporting today. City street department crews worked around the clock, but were able to do little, as overloaded sewers were simply unable to carry away the excess surface water.”
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Headlines in History 1920: EARLY MORNING BLAZE CAUSES $150,000 LOSS
Reporting by Cheryl Morey, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cheryl Morey, South Bend Tribune | USA TODAY Network
