Jul 26, 20155 min read

“A Rendezvous With Destiny”

On June 27th, 1936 President Franklin Roosevelt spoke before the Democratic National Convention and opened his address by..”Here, and in every community throughout the land, we are met at a time of great moment to the future of the nation. It is an occasion to be dedicated to the simple and sincere expression of an attitude toward problems, the determination of which will profoundly affect America .” He was speaking about the efforts to release the American people from the financial distress that had gripped the nation and of “new difficulties, new problems which must be solved if we were to preserve to the United States the political and economic freedom for which Washington and Jefferson planned and fought.”

Tom Brokaw in his 1998 book “The Greatest Generation” wrote ~ “..the nation was balanced precariously between the darkness of the Great Depression on one side and the storms of war in Europe and Pacific on the other, It was a critical time in shaping of this nation and the world…The nation turned to its young to carry the heaviest burden, to fight in enemy territory and to keep the home front secure and productive.”

The Ticonderoga Historical Society is commemorating the end of World War II by offering exhibits and programs that reflect the “difficulties” and “problems” mentioned by President Roosevelt and the activities and actions of those who fought in the war and those who , just importantly, “served” besides our service men and women at the home front.

On Saturday, August 29th, we will be presenting on the Hancock House lawn a day’s activities of that war era followed by a USO program “When the lights come on again.”

In a series of presentations we will “time warp” into that era to help some remember and for others to inform.

Adkins & Scott was a prosperous community oriented grocery store that was in operation for the first half of 1900s, Constructed in 1908 and was located at the corner of Montcalm Street and Lake George Avenue. Today, the main floor is occupied by the “Sunshine Laundry.”

On the eve of WWII, in 1941, its remodeled store layout was a great hit with its customers. Even during the depression it won many national awards for outstanding “product” design and presentation.

During the war years it recorded their “boys” who worked for them as they entered service

L to R: Henry William Crossman (May, 1944); Francis Joseph O’Connor (Jan, 1945); Kenneth Franklin McCaughlin (Sept, 1942: Gilbert Lawrence DeRosia (May, 1942); Bernard Nelson Osier (Dec, 19440; Merton William Lewis, (Oct, 1943); Lenard Harding Gunning (Apr, 1944); Flag Raising Iwo Jima (July 4th, 1945 parade) – with W. Rayno, J. Russell, R. Mc Caughin, David Carr, Donald Carr, P. Arthur; James Byers Christopher, (Apr, 1942); Richard John Moore, (Dec, 1945); Community Christmas Party, (Dec 1945); Harold Orlo Stewart (May, 1944); Russell Vincent Bradley, (Mar, 1943) and Donald Roger Mott, (Aug,1945).

Col Charles Henry Morhouse

Base Surgeon and CO of the Randolph Field, Texas, Medical Squadron, has been nominated by the President for promotion along with 206 other AF officers to the permanent grade of Colonel. Col. Morhouse was in the Philippines during the Japanese invasion of the islands and was chosen by the government to accompany General Douglas MacArthur on his perilous run from Corregidor to Australia in 1942. The trip was begun in a PT boat with only the assistance of a gasoline company commercial map. Colonel Morhouse entered the military service in July, 1932, and has served at Mitchell Field, NY; Nichols Field, Philippines, South West Pacific Area; and other Air force Bases. He has attended Brown University, Providence, RI; University of Vermont, Burlington, VTG and Harvard University, Boston, MA. He holds degrees of PHB and MSc, M.D. and MPH. He is native of Ticonderoga, NY. (Sentinel, 1950)

“Salvage” Display

“Vermont”, Once Pride of Lake, Off to the Wars

Burlington – Stripped to her hull and looking strangely like a “baby flat top” – the steamer Vermont, once the pride of Lake Champlain’s fleet of excursion boats, has left the historic lake – never to return. Towed by a powerful tug at six knots an hour, the Vermont was started on its way to make certain of its passage through the locks between the lake and Albany before navigation closed for the season. its ultimate destination has been reported as somewhere in Mexico. The disposal of the steamer was prompted, it is said, by the great wartime need of cargo bottoms. The Vermont has not been in services in ten years. (Oct. 31, 1945)

Blackout Instructions

For the two test to be conducted in Essex County; the first Monday night, March 16, for the towns of Minerva, Schroon, Ticonderoga, Crown Point, North Hudson, Moriah; the second Wednesday night, March 18, for the towns of Westport, Elizabethtown, Essex, Willsboro, Lewis, Chesterfield, Jay, Wilmington, St. Armand, Keene, North Elba, Newcomb. Both drills will be staged sometime between the hours of 9:00 and 11:00 for a period of fifteen minutes each.

All home, apartments, business places, industrial plants, schools, churches, mills, etc. are subject to this official order.

The following instructions MUST BE OBEYED:

1. Do not drive your car at any time during the blackout. If your machine is parked outside, be sure all lights are turned off.

2. If you should be driving at the time the signal is given, immediately pull your car over to the curb and extinguish all lights.

3. Stay indoors behind your blackout curtains, and if you have not made arrangements to screen a room, turn off all lights.

4. Do not use your telephone during the blackout period or for at least one half hour after the ‘ALL CLEAR” signal has sounded.

YOU ARE URGED TO READ THE ARTICLE IN AN ADJOING COLUMN WHICH LISTS COMPLETE INSTRUCITNS AS ANNOUNCED BY WILLIS WELLS, CHAIRMAN OF THE ESSEX COUNTY DEFENSE COUNCIL.

BLACK OF SIGNAL: In Ticonderoga, one long blast followed by one short blast for a period of two minutes by the whistles of the local mills of the International Paper Company, In all other coummunties residents should contact air raid wardens to determine the pre-arranged signal.

“ALL CLEAR SIGNAL” – (notice that blackout is over) in Ticonderoga will be the same as the warning signal. (one long blast followed by one short blast by the mill whistles) EXCEPT that it will be ONE minute duration. (Persons in other communities should also check with air raid wardens to learn “all clear” signals in their communities.)