As we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, we live in a time of comparative peace right now, but it wasn’t always that way. It might be interesting to look back at some wartime Christmases of the past.
At Thanksgiving 1917, thousands of troops were already pouring across the Atlantic Ocean to fight the “dreaded Hun” in France. In World War I, the so-called “war to end all wars.” The public was locally mobilized to support the war effort, and many young men were flocking to the colors to join up. There were also Liberty Loan drives being conducted.
Archibald Hoagland was serving as the Mayor of Williamsport.
The Gazette and Bulletin published a “Thanksgiving Shopping Guide” that advertised items and businesses, such as Ed Horn’s West End City Market House, which sold “the finest fruits and vegetables.” The Northcentral Gas Company sold electric ranges. A Thanksgiving feast could be had at the Windsor Café for one dollar. And quality ice cream was being sold by Wakenhut’s.
Thanksgiving food costs were more expensive because of the wartime emergency. A turkey sold for 40 cents a pound, more costly than turkeys sold in Elmira, N.Y., or Scranton. Butter and egg prices were also higher that year.
Entertainment locally had the Majestic Theater offering “a wide variety of vaudeville. A big holiday show.” The Orpheum had the photoplay, “The Man from Montana.” And the Hippodrome had Fannie Ward starring in “On the Level.”
The Williamsport High School gridders beat Bellefonte 27-6, and Penn State beat archrival Pitt 28-6.
The Gazette and Bulletin wrote of the holiday, “Williamsport spent a quiet Thanksgiving, even though these are war times. The day was notable for the number of soldier boys who came home from training camps for the holiday. The theaters were filled in the afternoon and evening, and the afternoon football game drew a good crowd.
America was at war again at Thanksgiving 1943. American forces were engaged in hard fighting in Africa. The Red Army had begun driving back the German Army from Russian soil, and in the Pacific, the Marines were fighting a bloody battle on Tarawa and had just retaken the island of Makin.
Locally, people were doing their utmost to support the war effort by purchasing War Bonds and by gathering tin, grease, and other recyclable items. Young men and women were responding with great ardor to the call of their country. Leo Williamson was serving as the Mayor of Williamsport.
At the theaters in Williamsport that Thanksgiving, Deanna Durbin was starring in “His Butler’s Sister” at the Capitol Theater. The Rialto had “Girl Crazy” starring Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney, and the Keystone had Roy Rogers in “A Man and His Music.”
At Acme Markets, bread was selling for 17 cents a loaf, turkey was selling for 52 cents a pound, cranberries were selling for 25 cents a pound, and you could get three pounds of sweet potatoes for 25 cents.
In Thanksgiving Day gridiron action, Art Pursell’s Williamsport Millionaires lost 3-0 to Steelton and Jersey Shore, and Lock Haven played to a 6-6 tie.
At Thanksgiving 1950, the United States was at war in Korea. General MacArthur had boastfully claimed that the troops would be home by Christmas. They had just launched an attack, causing North Korean forces to reel back toward the Manchurian border. About five days after Thanksgiving, the Red Chinese made it a whole new war, sending thousands of their troops across the Manchurian border into North Korea, causing a widespread retreat by American and United Nations forces. It would take more than six months for the front to stabilize and for the war to bog down into a stalemate.
Many local soldiers were called to action in Korea when the Pennsylvania National Guard was called into federal service.
Leo Williamson was in his 10th year as Mayor of Williamsport.
In the local theaters that Thanksgiving, Leo Gorcey and the Bowery Boys were starring in “Blues Busters” at the Karlton Theater. The Ritz in Muncy was playing “Sunset Boulevard,” starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson. “King Solomon’s Mines,” starring Deborah Kerr and Stewart Granger, was at the Rialto, and the Capitol had “The Jackpot” with Jimmy Stewart and Barbara Hale.
Williamsport High School culminated an undefeated football season and won a share of the Central Penn championship by beating Steelton on touchdowns by Earl Yost, Ray Sye, and David Anderson.
Turkey sold for 41 cents a pound, and potatoes were 33 cents for a 15-pound bag. You could get four pounds of sweet potatoes for 25 cents.
The Vietnam War was raging at its height at Thanksgiving 1967. The big battle at Dak To had just ended with a cost of 246 American lives and more than 860 wounded. It was the largest sustained battle of the war up to that time. Locally, many draftees and some who enlisted were seeing action in Vietnam, and tragically, some of them were losing their lives and sustaining serious wounds.
Raymond Knaur was serving as Mayor of Williamsport. Santa was supposed to arrive in downtown Williamsport on the day after Thanksgiving and would have his headquarters at the plaza at the Lycoming County Courthouse.
On movie screens locally, Frank Sinatra was starring in “Tony Rome” at the Rialto. “Cool Hand Luke,” starring Paul Newman, was at the Capitol, and at the State was Elvis Presley in “Clambake.”
A Thanksgiving buffet at the Holiday Inn on the Golden Strip cost $3.95. The A&P had turkey at 32 cents a pound for turkeys over 20 pounds, and two cans of cranberries cost 39 cents. Jane Parker’s bread cubes cost 27 cents per 12-ounce bag, and eggnog was 59 cents per quart.
