Looking Back: The day no one mentioned the city’s 57th birthday
Click here to read the full front page of the March 13, 1946 Paso Robles Journal.
–Excerpts from the March 13, 1946, Paso Robles Journal:
At the Side of the Road
With Arem Dee
Well, well, well . . . Paso Robles is getting along . . . Monday was its birthday and nobody mentioned it . . . there was no cake with candles nor any back slappings with “one to grow on” . . . although we may need that one . . . even the Chamber of Commerce was silent about it . . . can it be they think 57 years is a ripe old age? . . . but the fact remains that Paso Robles was incorporated as a city on March 11, 1889 . . . and from what I’ve seen and heard is just reaching the point where it is going to step out in the world and make a noise of itself . . . the plans of Sid Nichols include just that . . . and here’s more power to you Sid . . . if some of these young fellers who have just returned from serving Uncle Sam will put their shoulder to the wheel they can build themselves a fine future right here . . . if the city wants to take over the USO building for a civic center and recreation building it will have to get busy pretty soon and set up a policy . . . The American Legion is letting no grass grow under its feet and should the city show the least inclination to let the project slide will wade in and grab the building . . . they have a lot of good arguments on their side . . . the building was built for the service man and now that they are back from the wars they feel they should keep on getting the use of it . . . judging from the activity seen at San Miguel the cooperative flying club is going over strong . . . the urge to fly is strong among the younger generation . . . and with the advance in mechanics of aviation the chances are that more and more will take to the air . . . and now the government wants us to eat a slice less of bread every day . . . so we can send it to the starving in Europe . . . I guess we can get along . . . and continue to grow without that other slice . . . I never was much of a bread eater anyway . . .
Arem
Read previous Looking Back articles
- Looking Back: Paso Roblans in January 1919 as the Spanish Flu was winding down
- Looking Back: January 1914 storm wipes out local bridges, creates ‘a sorry wreck’
- Looking Back: Paso Robles officers share their LA riot stories
- Looking Back: How to Make Influenza Masks
- Looking Back: Will Start Census Work
This “Looking Back” view at Paso Robles history comes from one of the hundreds of local newspapers in the Paso Robles Area Historical Society collection. Several local newspapers, dating from the 1800s, have reported on local, national and world events, providing priceless historical views of our community that are not available from any other source. The Historical Society is seeking community support for the multi-phased Newspaper Preservation Project to help fund the transfer of these aged and fragile pages to microfilm and digital images.
Photography of the old newspapers is by Gigi Greene. News for this column is selected with the assistance of the society’s Vice President Nancy Tweedie and Research Director Jan Cannon.
The Paso Robles Historical Society is located in the Paso Robles History Museum at 800 12th Street in the Downtown City Park. Visit the Paso Robles Historical Society website for more information about exhibits, research, becoming a member, volunteering or donating.
The Paso Robles Daily News is pleased to support this important project. Watch this space for future “Looking Back” articles.
The museum has been closed due to COVID-19, but the society is planning a grand opening around the middle of April. In the meantime, those interested in historical research can make an appointment by visiting the website’s Research page or by calling (805) 238-4996
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