With this year being the 75th anniversary I thought it might be interesting as well as fun to look back at Greendale’s beginnings from the viewpoint of its own residents and local news stories of the day. Every Thursday through the end of the year, I will be posting humorous, relevant or just interesting stories from Greendale’s original newspapers.
The following selected stories are copied exactly as they were originally written (including some misspellings) unless otherwise noted. Some may be shortened with “…”. They will be in bold and italicized type.
Also, just a reminder - Greendale first opened to residents on May 1, 1938
Find out what's happening in Greendalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
NOTICE!!!
I would like to apologize for the lateness of last week’s posting going online today. I was very busy with work during the week and with the Harley-Davidson activities from Wednesday to Sunday – I had little time for anything else. I will post my regular Thursday articles tomorrow. Two in one week!
Find out what's happening in Greendalewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
GREENDALE REVIEW – Saturday, October 21, 1939
DISPLAY HOUSE TO BE RENTED
The “model home” on Current Lane, mecca for thousands of visitors since its opening more than a year ago, is about to be rented and thus fulfill its final ambitions—supplying housing to a family which might otherwise not be accommodated.
At the present time only four homes are vacant and these will be occupied soon by tenants already chosen for them. It is estimated that there will always be a vacant house or two in some section of the village as tenants move out for one reason or another.
Thousands Visit Home
Fifty visitors on weekdays and about five thousand on Sundays was the expected, average number who passed through the model home. Many came from far away places, from every state in the Union, from Canada, from Australia and a few from Europe.
Two large registers have been almost filled with their names. Celebrities, business men, housewives, newlyweds and grandma and grandpa, singly in pairs and in groups they kept streaming through from the time the home was opened until way past closing time. A guide was on hand to attempt to answer the questions. According to him, the most frequent one concerned the heating and rental costs, size of the home, insulation, storm windows and screens, garden space and entrance requirements.
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ATTENTION POST OFFICE BOX HOLDERS
For your convenience there is a switch for ceiling light on the north wall of the post office lobby, to be used on these dark evenings after the service window closed at 5:00 p.m.
You are requested by the department to switch the light off as you leave.
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NURSE TAKES UP DUTIES AT SCHOOL
Mrs. Hensley, registered nurse, began work last Monday at the Greendale School. She will be on duty at the school from nine o’clock to twelve. In addition to inspecting the school children who show signs of illness, she will follow up absences by home visits.
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SCHOOL SUPPLIES DISPLAYED IN SHOW CASE
Ted Henning and his committee have arranged an attractive display of school supplies in the show case in the community building
The supplies were chosen from the stock in the Greendale school store which is run as a laboratory project by the junior business training class.
The committee who assisted Ted Henning in arranging the display are as follows: Doreen Donnelly, Gloria Bennett, Robert White and Howard Mueller.
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NINTH GRADE BOYS HELP START CLEAN-UP CAMPAIGN
Last Monday, under the supervision of teachers and ninth grade boys and girls made a success of cleaning up the school grounds. John Shaw and Kenneth Heidger led the campaign and did the commendable job of organizing the campaign.
Charts of the school grounds had to be drawn to show certain sections which ninth grade boys would supervise. One task was enlisting the aid of the school children and interviewing the teachers to secure their cooperation. Making “picker-uppers” or sticks with nails on the ends was still another task.
The campaign will be carried on inside the school. If boys and girls and adults who use the building will put waste paper in receptacles that are provided for that purpose and handle school property carefully, the campaign will be just as successful inside the building as it was on the grounds around the building.
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FIRST FREEZE HERE HITS VEGITATION
The first freezing weather of the season last week Friday killed virtually all exposed flowers and vegetables in Greendale garden areas.
Flower gardens which were a mass of color Friday, became a tangle of wilted blossoms and blackened foliage, and leaves began to fall from trees with increasing rapidity soon after sunup.
One of the more hardy plants which survived the frost is the large clump of azalea mums in the front yard of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Mason on Schoolway. This beautiful plant is covered with hundreds of lavender and gold buds and blossoms and is worth coming over to see.
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DON’T STRADDLE THE LINE!
Several careless parkers whose cars had straddled the yellow line marking of parking areas in front of the mercantile building were very much surprised to find that here in Greendale we have a very alert police force who feel that everyone should take only what he is entitled to.
In other words, between the lines is room enough for one car and that’s all you get --- or else you get a ticket.
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VARIETY STORE ADDS WINTER STOCKS
Bright woolen mittens and parka hoods, sweaters and woolen socks have replaced swimming suits, slacks and picnic goods at the Greendale Variety store.
Several counters and tables have been added to take care of the new stocks.
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WORK STARTED ON NEW PARKING AREA
Work has been started on the new parking area in back of the commercial district, according to Walter E. Kroening, assistant manager. The parking lot will accommodate 110 cars and will be laid out for one-way traffic with its entrance south of the Co-op garage and exit at the other end of the parking area.
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CO-OP GARAGE OFFERS EMERGENCY SERVICE
The Greendale service station announces another new innovation for the use of the people of Greendale.
Starting this week, the garage will go on a 24 hour “emergency service.”
Todd Warner, the new mechanic, who recently moved into our village with his wife and small daughter, is having a telephone installed in his home to receive emergency calls at any time.
The telephone number will be announced later.
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STUDEBAKER CHAMPIONS
Hour after hour at a healthy touring speed without any of the coddling and slow speed with which cars are usually favored on economy runs, a stock model Studebaker champion sedan traversed America from ocean to ocean and back at a total gasoline cost of only $44.33. 13 different gasolines ranging from 15.4 cents to 25 cents per gallon in cost were used.
See these at W.B. Goerke Motor Company at 1435 West Forest Home Ave.
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Next week – Schoolway Landmark to be Removed.
Thanks to the Greendale Historical Society, for which I am a member, for providing the original newspapers.
Steve Peters
