What was making news in our area during this week in years past? The History Museum offers these newspaper excerpts to give you an idea.
Dec. 8, 1900: “The Epworth hospital fair and Christmas market, which opened on Tuesday afternoon in the Auditorium annex, closed last evening and was followed to-day by a big dinner, patronized by business men and others.” — The South Bend Tribune
Dec. 9, 1911: “That all plans for the erection of a mammoth cold storage plant in South Bend are practically completed and that contracts for a $300,000 building to accommodate it are nearly ready for the letting by the Butzbach Fruit & Cold Storage company, was announced to-day.” — The South Bend Tribune
Dec. 10, 1922: “Many of the traffic dramas of pedestrian and motorist alike might come true, according to prominent citizens who have been students of the traffic situation here for the last several years, if four thoroughfares, four important east-and-west veins of travel were to be given the preference over all intersecting highways with full boulevard status accorded the east-and-west routes.” — The South Bend Tribune
Dec. 11, 1934: “Indiana’s 118th anniversary as a state of the union was observed today with ceremonies in elementary and high schools throughout the city. Programs for the most part were confined to individual classrooms, particularly history classes in the upper grades. The state sent to each school a pamphlet outlining the principal historical events in Indiana since the admission to statehood Dec. 11, 1816.” — The South Bend Tribune
Dec. 12, 1947: “An automatic sprinkler system which went into operation soon after a fire started in the filling room of the South Bend works of the Singer Manufacturing company held the blaze in check until firemen arrived about 8 p.m. Thursday.” — The South Bend Tribune
Dec. 13, 1955: “The Board of Education Monday afternoon refused a request by the St. Joseph County Chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis to allow solicitation of children through the schools in its 1956 fund drive. In upholding its standing policy on such requests, board members agreed that: (1) solicitations can cause embarrassment to children whose parents are unable to afford a contribution, (2) many parents object to school solicitation of immature children who are a ‘captive audience,’ and (3) the board would have to allow solicitation by all charitable organizations if one was allowed to seek funds.” — The South Bend Tribune
Dec. 14, 1962: “The South Bend Brass Ensemble made its debut Thursday night on a program of the South Bend Chamber Music Society in the Schuyler Colfax Auditorium of the Public Library. The program also marked the American debut of the woodwind quintet composed over 40 years ago in Hungary by Carl Mathes, late associate professor of piano at the University of Notre Dame.” — The South Bend Tribune
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: 1947: Blaze held in check at South Bend works of Singer Manufacturing