so as i come into the world and begin to take baby steps here baby steps there, these are the things taking place in the universe which i now call home -
* * * * *
i was born in memorial hospital - Doctor R.L. Simpson delivered me, assisted by Nurse Fritch - while i was unable to locate 1943 photos of the hospital, or any of dr simpson or nurse fritch, this 1937 photograph of a nurse in front of the hospital is a close resemblance to nursing dress and the hospital a few years later, i would think:
memorial hospital was built in ___ [1921] and was located on ____ street where it remained until 1964 -
when i left the hospital, i came home to 504 ferry street, a pretty little cedar shake siding bungalow with a nice front yard and a large shade tree - i have always loved the architecture of the bungalow - including the little stained glass windows that were a common feature -
this is how our little bungalow looks today in 2011 - a far cry from the beautiful cedar shake bungalow to which i came home - structurally, the house is no longer a two-family duplex but is apparently a business of sorts and this is the way it looks today - to the left side, in the little room that sticks out from the house [in the upper left corner of the image of me in my buggy above], the pretty multi-pane glass window is still there - but the wonderful porch columns are gone - more of these bungalow features are visible in the 1944 photos of my life - some of our neighbors' homes included these beautiful little places - 
our next door neighbor at 502 ferry had this 1910 bungalow, to which a two car garage has since been added but the charm of the home is obvious now as it was when i was the new kid on the block - these images have been left in color rather than black and white for a realistic view of the street on which i came into this world in sedro-woolley -
then, there is this beautiful little 1910 place at 511 ferry street - small but full of the charm of that era
and down the street just a bit at 532 ferry was this house - built in 1903 - that remains there today, as well
i wonder just who our neighbors were then - in 1943 - and who lives there today - did they have children then - where are those children today and what are their lives like - i wonder -
a bit of sedro-woolley news happenings during the year of my birth included these hot items:
[Journal Ed. note: George Hammer was a partner in the original Oliver-Hammer Clothes Shop. At the time of this story, it was located on its original lot, 805 Metcalf Street, on the east side of the block between the L& M (Leber and Martindale) grocery and the Courier-Times, in the building that two gift shops occupy today. That building is not as deep on its lot as the other neighbors, so Hammer had plenty of room out back to grow a small garden, with eastern exposure, where cars are parked today. Hammer sold the business in 1958 to Pinky Robinson and Greer Drummond, who had been associated with him for two decades.]
[Journal Ed. note: the address of the Tradewell Market was then 212 State Street, in a 40x120-foot building that is no longer there. At that time through 1965, Metcalf Street dead-ended at State Street. In the late 1950s Tradewell moved to the old Jech Universal Motors buildings on Murdock Street, which is now the home of the Sedro-Woolley Museum. Mahaffie's Market was at 823 Metcalf Street, the southern half of what is now Joy's Sedro-Woolley Bakery.]
He will take over the Mahaffie shop for the duration of the war, and will also supervise the Crossman Market at the Tradewell store, which Mahaffie took over recently from Royce Crossman.
Shortly before being drafted, Mahaffie had arranged to take over Crossman's market at the Tradewell store, as Royce Crossman, proprietor, on account of poor health, is retiring from business for a year or two. This market will now be managed by Nels Enberg, with Pete Kilgo continuing as his associate in the business. Enberg has been employed for several months at the Mahaffie market.
[Journal Ed. note: At that time, state law dictated that the butcher shop in any grocery store be separate from the grocery section. Most often there was a different manager who leased the butcher section. In Mahaffie's case, his shop was solely devoted to butchering and wholesale and retail sale of meat.]
[Journal Ed. note: Jac Running (Jacob Ben) originally owned a small neighborhood grocery store at 319 Gibson street, a block north of the Great Northern tracks, in the residential district, a block away from the original P.A. Woolley mansion. Jac was born in North Dakota in 1891 and his Norwegian-immigrant parents — Martin Johan and Anna Margarethe Running, moved to Sedro-Woolley sometime in his childhood. Their address in the 1913 Polk Directory is RD1, which probably means they lived somewhere in the Skiyou-Utopia area. Running became most famous locally for his talent as a musician. Several old timers have recounted that he performed in the John Philip Sousa band. Sousa (1854-1932). Sousa was widely recognized as the "king of the American march." and a writer "for the feet instead of the head." Sousa's band performed all over the country, including many times in Seattle, but we suspect that Sousa performed with the band regionally rather than nationally because he would have been too young to march with Sousa's national band in its heyday.
In September 1926 he organized a 21-piece Drum and Bugle Corps band for the Sedro-Woolley American Legion post #43, which consisted of ten bugles, nine sets of drums and two leaders. At that time he also sold sheet music out of his store. He married one of the pioneer debutantes of Woolley, Ruth Bovey Shrewsbury, the granddaughter of the Bovey family who owned one of the first boarding houses in old Sedro by the river in 1889, and the daughter of a Woolley pioneer and mill owner, Homer Shrewsbury. She was also an accomplished musician and dancer. In the 1920s, bands such as the one led by Running often marched in a funeral cortege with lodge dignitaries all the way from downtown to the Wicker cemetery, and on Memorial, Fourth of July and Armistice Day ceremonies. Running was a World War I veteran, but we have no details of his service. We hope that a reader who is a descendant of any of those families will share family historical details with us and especially a photo of Jac and/or Ruth.]
for a complete reading about sedro-woolley during this period, just click here .
on a national level, there was also a lot movin' and shakin' - for even more information on what was going on nationally and globally, check here and here -
Following American involvement in the war manufacturers around the US became as efficient at producing war machines as they had been producing other goods with companies like ford and GM managing to change from cars to bombs and aircraft engines and at the same time due to the number of men overseas fighting the war using more women for manufacturing a total of 18 million women were employed. Due to shortages America sees it's first rationing. Italian and German forces surrender in North Africa as the war in Europe starts to turn the Allies way. The Glenn Miller Orchestra provided the most popular music of the time.
How Much things cost in 1943
Average Cost of new house $3,600.00
Average wages per year $2,000.00
Cost of a gallon of Gas 15 cents
Average Cost for house rent $40.00 per month
Bottle Coca Cola 5 cents
Average Price for a new car $900.00
World War II 1943
U.S. - The Pentagon, considered to be the world’s largest office building is completed - In the United States, it is announced that shoe rationing Canned food, meat, cheese, butter and cooking oils will go into effect
Poland - German forces liquidate the Jewish ghetto in Krakow.
Germany - German Afrika Korps and Italian troops in North Africa surrender to Allied forces.
UK - British deception plan " The Man Who Never Was" or Operation Mincement executed.
Italy - Mussolini Resigns in Italy and Surrender Of Italy is announced on September 8th
Hungary - Budapest more than 2,000 citizens sent to Concentration Camps
U.S. - America takes control of Guadalcanal
Iran - The Allied leaders of Britain, the United States and the Soviet Union meet for the first time in Iran
UK - The Dambuster Raids by RAF 617 Sqdn on 17th May on German dams
Poland - Warsaw Jewish Ghetto Uprising against the Nazi's
Germany - The British and Americans bomb Hamburg on July 24th causing a firestorm that kills 42,000 German civilians.
U.S. - Future President Lt. John F. Kennedy's command the PT-109 is sunk by a Japanese destroyer
U.S. - US General Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the supreme Allied commander
Events of 1943
U.S. - Great Depression ends in the United States: With unemployment figures falling fast due to World War II-related employment
U.S. - The Works Progress Administration ( PWA ) designed to provide jobs during the Great Depression of the 1930's is ended.
U.S. - Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C is Completed
U.S. - Due to shortages in Copper the U.S. one-cent coin is struck in steel
U.S. - Montana Coal and Iron Company Explosion Kills 74
India - Bengal, India famine leaving up to 3 million dead.
Lebanon - Lebanon Gains Independence From France
U.S. - "Pay As You Go tax" introduced in US
U.S. - Car Tax Registration introduced in US
U.S. - The Pentagon in Washington D.C. is Completed