Truman institutes the draft and Dewey gets the nomination
In the last week of June 1948, young men, ages 19-25, were told they would have to register for the draft.
A bill signed by President Harry Truman was expected to affect 900,000 men that were needed in the military and local draft boards were expected to begin registering men within six weeks.
The Davis building, then known as the Davis Trust Co., was purchased by Dan Taylor of Indianapolis from Bertha J. Davis of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Davis had recently inherited the property.
Taylor’s grandfather, D.H. Davis had built the building “as a monument to himself.”
Taylor’s mother was Sue Davis Taylor of Indianapolis, formerly of Brazil.
Taylor said he bought the building as a business investment and also out of sentiment. He was convinced the Davis Trust Co. building at the corner of National Avenue and Meridian Street had a bright commercial future.
Not only were young men concerned about their futures and the draft but people on Brazil’s east side wondered what was making their tap water cloudy.
The city’s chief engineer, Joe Stunkard, told The Times the problem was too much air in the water because the discharge valve on Vandalia Street had been opened too wide.
Stunkard’s solution: He told residents to let the water stand for a few minutes until it cleared.
In 1948 before air conditioning became popular, the Brazil park board planned a series of Thursday night amateur talent shows.
Dr. J. L. Decker, park board president, said the shows would begin July 1.
Prize money had been secured for winners and Dave and Pauline Coleman, “internationally famous stars of stage and radio, whose unusual magic act was publicized some months ago in Life magazine,” were scheduled to perform.
Decker said other professional acts were scheduled as well.
Not only was the bandshell used for the amateur talent shows but a series of local union church services were planned at Forest Park’s bandshell starting July 4. The church services were followed by the Brazil Concert Band performances at 8 p.m.
Also that week, the band was on the program to play at a meeting at Zion’s Evagelical and Reformed Church to discuss the commercial possibilities of the new Cagle’s Mill dam lake.
The election year 1948 became famous for the November photo of President Truman holding up a newspaper with the erroneous headline, “Dewey Defeats Truman” when Truman had, indeed, won re-election.
In June, Gov. Thomas E. Dewey of New York accepted the Republican nomination for president during the convention in Philadelphia.
Dewey’s running mate was Gov. Earl Warren of California. It was the only election Warren ever lost.
He later became famous as a U.S. Supreme Court Justice and as chairman of the Warren Commission that investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Back at home, schools were on the minds of many Brazil parents. The school board announced its plan to ask the state tax board for permission to make a levy of 50 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to raise money to replace several “antiquated grade schools” in the city. However, the schools were not named in the report.
Brazil High School gained a new supervisor of instrumental music and director of the high school band and orchestra.
Schools Superintendent George Pell announced Myron Johnson, who lived on South Forest Avenue, would fill the position vacated by Robert Carr.
Verna Burns, daughter of attorney James L. Burns of Clay City was named teacher of English and public speaking at Brazil Junior High School.
Both were natives of Brazil and had graduated from Brazil High School.
Some city leaders hoped to subsidize a city bus service allowing residents to ride free of charge. A public meeting to discuss the bus situations was called that week in the Chamber of Commerce assembly room.
The Rev. Beanblossom of Center Point caught a 14-inch catfish on a bass plug in a local pit. He was fishing with Roy Wright of Center Point. It was the second catfish caught on a plug in this area.
In sports, the Brazil Recreation team traveled to Center Point and lost to the Saline City Neversweats 5-3.
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Did you know the liberty bell that now stands high above Philadelphia once visited the City of Brazil?
The story is in the April issue of The Smithsonian.
It seems our country was short on cash with which to fight World War I so the liberty bell was taken down and transported across the nation to raise money for the war effort.
Thanks to David Gottsche of Brazil for bringing the article to our attention.
Next week, we look back to July 2-8, 1949 in Clay County.
Remember, your Brazil Public Library on North Walnut Street is a great resource of historical information about Clay County.
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