Tonawanda and North Tonawanda: 1940-1960

By Historical Society of the Tonawandas

Between the years of 1940 and 1960, Tonawanda and North Tonawanda virtually redefined themselves. The waning lumber industry gave way to manufacturing that accommodated first the war effort and then postwar market demands. After the war, men and women returned to family life, and the baby boom began. New homes, new schools, and new roads were built to serve the burgeoning population; meanwhile, local industries expanded, and new businesses took root. Well-paying jobs were plentiful, as were consumer goods such as televisions, modern appliances, and cars. Community pride was evident, with volunteers swelling the ranks of fire companies, churches, and service clubs. Downtown had dozens of shops, department stores, restaurants, and entertainment venues such as the Riviera and Melody Fair. Tonawanda and North Tonawanda: 1940-1960 celebrates the American Dream, an era when teenagers were rocking and rolling at school dances and hanging out at Zeffery's the Sugar Bowl, and Pee Wee's Pizzeria.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Oct 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9781439647653

Historical Society of the Tonawandas

In celebration of their 50th anniversary, the Historical Society of the Tonawandas proudly presents these vintage photographs from their collection of over 8,000 indexed images. All written material was meticulously researched by society members using the extensive resources available at their museum.

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INTRODUCTION

During the late 19th century, Tonawanda Harbor emerged as the second-largest lumber port in the world, and this worldwide fame of the Tonawandas as a great lumber center would extend several decades into the 20th century. Although the lumber industry eventually began to diminish, it was augmented by numerous other major industries by the time the Great Depression hit in the 1930s. When the clouds of the Depression began to slowly peel away during the late 1930s, the Twin Cities once again emerged as a major industrial center. Still utilizing a strategic location as the easternmost port of the upper Great Lakes, the two cities remained connected to the Great Lakes’ maritime and continued a strong lumber trade, albeit nothing like the lumber activity at the beginning of the century. With the transportation capabilities afforded by the Erie Canal and several major rail lines, a vast array of industries emerged, including Tonawanda Iron, International Paper, Allan Herschell, and Wurlitzer.

America’s entry into World War II in 1941 redefined the strong recovery. Production in nearly every plant and facility was switched to full support of the war effort. Some industries like bolt manufacturers and steel plants needed to make few changes to accommodate the new focus. Others like organ and carrousel manufacturers needed to heavily retool to change their product lines. The ample workforce that had predated the war was suddenly called to serve in Africa, Europe, and the Pacific. Women were called to work in the factories, and men not called to the front lines poured into the area to fill the abundance of war-related jobs. Housing shortages for this influx of workers became a major problem.

The war defined all aspects of life for those living in the Twin Cities. Residents needed to carry their ration books, ration stamps, and ration tokens in order to purchase gasoline, sugar, and meat. There were weekly collections of newspapers and periodic collections of scrap metal, paintbrushes, and old phonograph records. Residents were urged to buy war bonds in lieu of using their earnings for other purchases—purchases that were severely limited by the utter absence of many consumer products. Both scheduled and surprise blackouts would interrupt daily routines, requiring everyone to be off the streets and to extinguish all lights in their businesses and residences. For close to five long years, the community pulled together with patriotic dedication to win the war. The dedication of Twin Cities residents to the cause was rewarded with many Army-Navy E Awards for excellence in production, and the community was chosen as the kickoff site for the nation’s fifth war bond drive in June 1944.

After the war’s end and the thankful return of those soldiers who had survived the hostilities, the atmosphere of the community could only be described as euphoric. Local industries generally returned to their prewar production. Demand for consumer goods, which had been curtailed, rationed, and were in many cases simply unavailable during the war years, soared. Production struggled to keep up with the demand. The men were back to once again populate the workforce; the women, in general, returned to homemaking and raising families.

The evolution to a new world was a bit slow at first, but by the time Ike (Dwight D. Eisenhower) was put into the White House, the return to normalcy was well under way. The population of the Twin Cities was growing rapidly, with new housing developments springing up around the old established residential sections. New roads, new schools, new houses, new fire halls—everything pushed ahead the economy. Residents were finding themselves with more money, and more time on their hands to spend that money. The downtown sections of both cities needed to expand to adapt to the increasing needs of the population. Old residences were moved out of the city centers to make room for more businesses. The downtown business districts became so congested that plans were explored as to how to diminish traffic.

During all this positive turmoil, the Twin Cities experienced two decades that made up a memorable era in the lives of its inhabitants. The postwar era of good feelings that swept the country was mirrored in the Tonawandas community as well, and it is this era that we especially celebrate in this publication. Local residents generally experienced a very pleasant standard of living, especially when compared to the stagnant, constrained years of the Depression and the war, which remained in recent memory.

A sparkling sense of pride and continued patriotism could be found throughout the community. Civic involvement soared and membership in fraternal and service organizations hit an all-time high. Two American Legion bands, numerous volunteer fire company bands, and two fabulous high school marching bands filled the streets for Memorial Day and Firefighters’ Day parades. Community-wide beautification programs were initiated by organizations like the Jaycees and backed by nearly every local business and industry. And at least twice per year, at the annual Crystal Beach Day tug-of-war and iconic T-NT (Tonawanda–North Tonawanda) football game, the community would get together to celebrate legendary rivalries. The community’s pride manifested itself in the very landscape of the two cities as the old edifices that dated to the late 19th century were rehabilitated with new facades and refurbished interiors.

While still enjoying movies at the Riviera and Star Theatres, local residents could also be entertained at Melody Fair and the Delaware Drive-In. Company outings and civic organization– sponsored field days provided endless opportunities for camaraderie, rides for the kiddies, and of course, fresh chowder.

Downtown shopping was an integral part of life in the 1940s and 1950s. Between Twin-Ton and Murphy’s and all the other stores lining multiple streets in the business district, local residents did almost all their shopping in the immediate vicinity. Annual sidewalk and Old-Fashioned Days sales drew crowds to Webster and Main Streets. Whether the day was spent shopping, catching a show, bowling, or boating, it could be topped off with a quick refreshment or a full meal at one of the many restaurants, followed by dancing at one of the local establishments still featuring live music.

Children, and all facets related to them, were a major driving force of everyday life. Children were playing with Howdy Doody marionettes or donning Davy Crockett coonskin hats when not watching them on their black-and-white television sets. Technological innovations from televisions to transistor radios as well as the early space race captured the attention of everyone.

The era of good feelings would inevitably come to