Eileen KINNICK - 75 yrs ago - Week 20 - May 15-21, 1937

Eileen KINNICK
75 yrs ago
Week 20 - May 15-21, 1937

My mother, Eileen KINNICK (maiden name), kept a diary from 1932 until her death in 1999. In Feb 2005, I created a website of her 1936 diary, the year she graduated from high school. During the latter half of 2011, commented weekly on these entries.
For 1937, I am transcribing the daily entries, currently, at The KINNICK Project surname blog.

In this weekly blog post, I will make summary comments and observations, and perhaps add a photo, from time to time. Starting here with Week 10, I am switching to the week ending on Friday.
Setting: The family lived in a farmhouse a couple of miles out of town (Coon Rapids, Iowa). Older brother, Leo, lived at home; his girl friend, later wife, Ida, visited regularly. Younger brother, Buzzy (she often wrote Bussy) was 9 years old. Pete Smith is her 'boy friend' - fourth month starting Jan 1 (they do marry, in Mar 1938).

Week 20 (May 15-21): Several times in the past month or so, Eileen mentioned things changing in the downtown and along Main Street. Here is an article from the Coon Rapids Enterprise of April 30 that summarized much of that activity.


April 30, 1937 - 75 Years Ago

The town changes. The Gibsons decided to leave Coon Rapids, George Keeley opens a new shoe repair shop, Cliff Bowman builds a new paint shop and the Milwaukee has a crew of 163 men laying heavier rails. Not to mention the additional work done on the Municipal light plant, the progress on Mayor Whitnell’s building and the remodeling of the Garst store.
These are major changes recorded this week in the business district of Coon Rapids.
Coon Rapids is progressing. And changing. Mr. and Mrs. C.B. Gibson announce this week that they are quitting business in Coon Rapids and will put their entire stock of jewelry on sale for the next 30 days, beginning today. They expect to go to Milton, Iowa where they were both born and raised where their relatives live and where they lived before they came to Coon Rapids in October of 1928. They bought their present jewelry business which they are moving to Milton, of A.W. Waldron here in 1928.
George Keeley’s shoe repair shop will be officially opened for business tomorrow, Saturday. Mr. Keeley expected to be ready for business by the middle of this week but because of a delay in the shipment of machinery, the opening was delayed until tomorrow. He reports that the machinery being installed is Landis machinery of the most modern type. Mr. Keeley has had first hand experience in this line in factories in both Chicago and St. Louis previous to 1929 when he returned to Coon Rapids to make his home northwest of town. Last fall the family moved to town to make their home with Mrs. Cooney’s father, M.M. Cooney, and now Mr. Keeley is to be a full fledged business man.
Another new building is almost completed on the Lauridson property next door to Lund’s produce. Here Cliff Bowman will be located with his paint and wallpaper shop. He has formerly been located at the Gamble store.
Keeping pace with faster and heavier pace of the world, the Milwaukee railroad has had a gang of 163 men laying heavier rails on all single tracks on the main line across the state of Iowa. With their work train located at the depot here, they finished up yesterday four miles west of town. They laid rails from the west that far last year. W.A. Moberly is in charge of the work and reports the men can lay three miles of rail a day. They use a power derrick to handle the rails which weigh 112 pounds to the foot. Three different kinds of rails of varying lengths are used. From here they will go to Caldonia, Wisconsin.


I look forward to additional comments!

Families are Forever!  ;-)