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“Celebrations and more celebrations. Just keeps a fellow running in circles to make all of them,” said Editor Allison in August 1942. “The fact that most all of them have the same set-up of concessions and attractions, where folks tramp on your toes, stick their elbows in your ribs, jam and push and shove you around. But it’s a celebration and how we love it.”
Laurel’s biggest celebration of the year was called “Free Day.” The attractions were not free by any means but much of the cost was paid by the Commercial Club as a thank you to patrons.
Held on Tuesday, Aug. 4, Free Day drew hundreds of people from neighboring towns and the surrounding countryside. Activities included two concerts by the community band, free acts in the afternoon and evening, a kid and pet parade, a merry-go-round and kiddie cars for the children. There was a baseball game between Laurel and Maskell (Laurel won), a tug of war between the Logan Center men and the South-of -Town Swedes (Logan Center won). The day ended with a dance on Cedar Street with music by the Art Raduchel Orchestra.”
“It was a fine success in every way,” said editor Allison. “As far as we know everyone had a good time. The hoosegow was empty this morning so what more can we ask? The only thing lacking was a lot of young men who are now engaged in more serious business.”
“The gals are in a tough spot,” said Allison. “All the men folks are off to war and when one comes home for a visit, someone is likely to get hurt in the rush. The same conditions are true all over.”
The next celebration was the Dixon Picnic which had been held regularly on Aug. 15 since the town was established on that day in 1890. “Heard one of the gals telling another gal that Dixon was the place to get dates.” said Editor Allison. “Just go early and keep trying until you land a sucker.”
The Dixon Picnic was not a picnic in the sense that people packed lunches and ate under a tree in the park. It was actually a smaller version of Laurel’s Free Day.
Attractions included music by the Concord Owl Band, free acts including a magician and a singing cowboy, a baseball game, free movies, minor sports, bingo, concessions, a speaker, and a merry-go-round for the children. Unfortunately for the children, the merry-go-round broke down and no one could fix it.
The evening ended with a scrap dance. As Dixon was predominantly Irish in those days, most dances featured a scrap or two. This one was different. The price of admission was an armload of old iron for Dixon’s scrap drive. Dancers were invited to pin a note on the iron expressing contempt for Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito.
Not everyone was impressed with the celebration. In a column entitled “Dixon Hits and Misses,” an anonymous writer billing himself as the “Dixon Ghost” wrote: “The picnic was just cut and dried -- taken out of the wrappings of previous picnics and served in the same old way.
Let’s be different once in awhile. A change would be welcome.”
The following week a second ghost bashed the first ghost: “He sits on his haunches up on his hilltop, looks down over the town and puts in his little say -- sometimes a slap on the back. Sometimes a kick in the shins. But when it comes to the Old Settlers Picnic he is all wet. The community helped very much with the picnic. More than you, Mr. Ghost.”
The Ghost thing came about after Editor Henry Balzer shut down the Dixon Journal in June. In the last edition Balzer suggested that Dixon would soon become a ghost town.
Needless to say a number of Dixon residents took offense. R.R. Allison bought the Journal’s subscription list and added a new section called “The Dixon Advocate.” From time to time a person or persons writing under the pseudonym “A Ghost” wrote a column similar to Allison’s “The Safety Valve Pop Offs.”
A safety valve, incidentally, was a device on a steam engine that released steam when pressure reached the maximum safe limit. Hence Allison’s column was a place for him to “release steam.”
Coleridge held its annual Harvest Festival on Wednesday Aug. 26. The attractions included an exhibition wrestling match between “Bring ‘em Back Alive” Frank Burish and “The Nebraska Tiger Man” John Pesek.
A native of Ravenna, Pesek was a former world heavyweight champion. Recognized as one of the best wrestlers of the time, Pesek was posthumously inducted into the Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2005.
After his wrestling career faded, Pesek bred some of the nation’s top greyhound racing dogs on his farm near Ravenna. At one time the bloodlines of 70 percent of racing greyhounds could be traced to one of Pesek’s dogs.
The last celebration of the month was the Dixon County Fair which kicked off on Wednesday, Aug. 26, and ran through the weekend.
Attractions included the usual free acts, parades, baseball games, band concerts, as well as livestock and agricultural exhibits.
In addition to the summer celebrations mentioned above, there was a Vaudeville show in the Auditorium on August 10. The price of admission was the purchase of one war savings stamp of any denomination. Stamps were available in denominations from 10c to $5. Postmaster George O’Gara was at the Auditorium ticket window to sell them.
There also were concerts in the park every Sunday evening. The concerts featured music by both the town and school bands, community singing, and an address by one of the local pastors. Despite the war and all the rationing there was plenty to do in Laurel in August 1942.
(A thank you to Judy and Gary Morten for sending pictures of Carl Flom’s wartime ration stamps. Flom, a resident of Fordyce, was Gary’s maternal grandfather.) I doubt if people today would put up with the shortages and hardships experienced by people during World War II.
