Each week we’ll take a step back into the history of Great Bend through the eyes of reporters past. We’ll reacquaint you with what went into creating the Great Bend of today, and do our best to update you on what “the rest of the story” turned out to be.
On June 14, 1940, the Nazi concentration camp in Auschwitz, Poland, opened and the systematic torture and murder of over 3 million Jewish men, women and children occurred within its walls over the next four years.
Then, on June 15, 1940, France surrendered to Nazi Germany, as German troops occupied Paris.
In Great Bend, it would be years before reports of the concentration camps throughout German controlled Europe would come to light, though there were rumors beginning as ealy as 1941. This week, war coverage abounded with stories of the Nazi storming of the Maginot Line, the French retreat from Paris and hints at capitulation.
Back in the United States, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an army appropriation bill for $1,495,000,000 for the expansion of the U.S. Army and for fighting equipment. A national defense research committee was also formed.
A Drew Pearson syndicated column speculated on the dangers America faced with Hitler’s non-stop dominance. In “Six serious situations face America if Hitler is completely victorious,” concerns that Nazism would spread to several sparsely populated, weakly defended and resource rich lands were at tops. These included the Far East and South and Central America. The expansion of Nazi governments established in Latin American countries could lead to Nazi air bases. Risks to the Panama Canal would also be worrisome.
“In other words, war for the United States depends largely upon whether or not we are going to defend or abandon the Monroe Doctrine.”
Loyalty pledges and proof of citizenship required
Meanwhile, a grocery wholesaler, the Nash-Finch Co., asked its Great Bend employees to sign a pledge of Americanism this week.
“Manager Lloyd of the local Nash-Finch branch today reported that the pledges were signed and returned to him 100 percent by Great Bend Nash-Finch employees.”
The letter:
“The Nash-Finch Company is an American institution. It has been built to its present enviable position by people who believed in American principles. It is today being carried on by the same kind of people. As an evidence of our patriotism we offer this pledge and propose that it be signed by everyone in any way connected with this business. -- Harold B. Finch, President.
My Pledge
“To insure a continuation of my personal rights and freedom and that of my family, I will to the utmost of my ability support and protect the government of the United States of America. I believe in the American way of life and will oppose any attempt to change it. Signed....”
This was timely, coming a few weeks before the passage of The Smith Act, which made it a crime to advocate for the overthrow of the U.S. government. In 1957, the Supreme Court however ruled in Yates vs. U.S.,“ that the First Amendment protected radical and reactionary speech, unless it posed a “clear and present danger.”
They had been adopted into the legal code in several states, but this ruling made it a dead law. That didn’t strike them from the books though. As late as 2015, we found an ACLU letter to the Superintendent of Hastings, Neb. school district which had a 1951 law on the books requiring employees to sign loyalty oaths. The ACLU was cordial, but informed the district “Attempting to enforce the state statute is unconstitutional and will expose the school district to liability to a civil rights lawsuit.”
In another AP story, “Radio operators told to prove citizenship,” Tribune readers learned “Approximately 100,000 radio operators were ordered today by the federal communications commission to submit proof of their citizenship.”
“Previous commission orders forbade amateurs to communicate with foreign countries, sharply curtailed activities of mobile transmitters and ordered ship and other operators not to carry on unnecessary conversations.
“Today’s decree applies to all operators, both amateur and commercial.”
With a number of short-wave amateur operators in Barton County this was likely of particular interest. If nothing else, it likely had people in Great Bend on edge as world events began to heat up, especially with many World War 1 veterans residing in the area, now in their mid- to late 40s and 50s, with sons and daughters of their own reaching the age of service.
Great Bend employer makes a growth move
In other Nash-Finch news that day, “Grocers are guests at Nash-Finch “Sampling.””
“Over 30 grocers of Great Bend and nearby towns were guests of the Nash-Finch company last night in Great Bend at a “cutting” and “sampling” of the Del Monte line of canned fruits and vegetables.
“W.T. Lloyd, manager of the Great Bend branch of Nash-Finch, was in charge of the meeting and introduced Mr. Whitmer, one of the three representatives of the California Packing Corporation, packers of the Del Monte line, who gave a short talk. The Nash-Finch company has only recently secured the distribution of Del Monte products in this territory.
“At the close of the evening, a Dutch lunch was served.”
Events like these helped companies like Nash-Finch to cement corporate relationships, and build loyalty locally with the grocers they served. It was a winning move.
According to Wikipedia, “in the 1950s, Nash Finch expanded its customer list to include corporate-owned chains to their existing independent mom-and-pop grocers. A 17-store supermarket chain was purchased in 1954. In St. Cloud, Minn., the company in 1964 started Warehouse Market, a warehouse-style store.”
Over the years, supermarkets overtook small grocers, and wholesale food distribution became more regional. Still Nash-Finch grew until in 2013 it was acquired by Spartan Stores in a $1.3 billion stock swap.
Women-run drive-in
An announcement this week of a new business opening in Great Bend reminds us our love of ice cream has been around for decades.
“The Little Dan-Dee Drive-Inn, 10th and Adams, is a new business firm in Great Bend which will make its initial bow to the public tomorrow when it will be opened by four young women here who are anxious to make a success of their business venture. The young women are Elva Dean Hornish, Madeline Bennett, Wilmeth Bennet and Fern Bennet and the first two will handle the ice cream and sandwich department and the last two the popcorn department. They will feature all kinds of sandwiches, especially their “Dandeeburger: which is described as being a “hamburger deluxe” and as a special inducement to the public will give ice cream cones free all day Saturday. It will be necessary to buy two ice cream cones and you will then receive one free. Ice cream, cold drinks, popcorn and sandwiches will be the main bill-of-fare and the girls are hoping they will receive a good business patronage from their many friends here.”
The Bennett sisters and Miss Hornish were not the only ice cream purveyors in the area. In a two-line notice just above this introduction from the Tribune, “Ice Cream, frozen malts, sandwiches, White Cloud Inn, 2900 West Tenth.”
Nothing like a little healthy competition, right? At any rate, we weren’t able to determine how long the Dan-Dee Drive-In existed, but the women were on the right track with their idea. About this same time, the very first Dairy Queen opened in Joliet, Ill. The coming war, with sugar rationing, as well as gasoline and tire rationing, made it tough for drive-ins to hang on, but after the war, they boomed. Here’s a fun article we found on the web, “Drive-Ins during the 1940s.” (https://livinghistoryfarm.org/farminginthe40s/life_25.html ).
Mini-manufacturing plant on wheels
A novelty came to Great Bend in the form of a “Colorful fair exhibit to be on display here.”
“The three Plymouth dealers in Great Bend, Johnson-Line Mortor Co., Parrish Motor Co, and Evans Motor Co, are looking forward to the appearance this week of the $20,000 miniature model of the Plymouth auto plant in Detroit, Mich., which ahs been an attraction of the company’s exhibit at the San Francisco exposition.
“The miniature plant housed in a specially-constructed trailer will be set up for operation in front of the courthouse and will be open to the public from 2 to 10 p.m. Thursday. Factory experts accompany the exhibit and will deliver education lectures on modern production methods with each demonstration of the working model.
“Details of the model, it is said, demonstrate eerie major operation from the start of the skeleton frames at the head of the line to the completed cars at the finish ready for final inspection. The model is 20 feet long and 4 feet wide.
“The above dealers invite the public to call and see the model thursday afternoon or evening.”
This was also an opportunity for people in the heartland to have a small glimpse of the glamour of the World’s Fair exposition of 1939, many photos of which recently resurfaced in the archives of the San Francisco Chronicle and were reprinted in a 2019 feature story (https://www.sfchronicle.com/chronicle_vault/article/Rediscovered-photos-show-Golden-Gate-12780799.php#photo-15264186 )
A sizable ad accompanied the story, with a line drawing of the model being towed by, you guessed, it, a brand new Plymouth.
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Tribune file photo
An advertisement promoting a special exhibit coming to Great Bend, and hosted by the city’s three Plymouth Dealers. The miniature manufacturing model provided a glimpse into how cars were made, and was a little piece of the amazing Golden Gate International Exposition, an encore of the 1939 San Francisco World’s Fair.
