Did You Know This About Geary County History?”
By Dr. Ferrell Miller
Geary County Historical Society Board Member
“JCHS Yearbook Tells The Story Of Segregation/Integration In Junction City” Part I
“The Junction City High School Yearbook was first printed in 1900, but it did not receive the title of Pow Wow until 1923. School yearbooks are not usually scenes of political actions or protest, but the JCHS Pow Wow was an exception. Though the controversy took place almost 100 years ago, it is still interesting how students supported each other in terms of racial equality. This is still an important.
The Pow Wow controversy needs to be set in the context of U.S. history for the period from 1923 to 1948. Junction City had good race relations for the time, but the times were very different from today. Most African American students in Kansas attended segregated schools. Junction City was an exception. Many neighborhoods were racially integrated and black and white children grew up together as playmates and friends. Often the white children were unaware that black children could not swim in Junction City’s Municipal Pool with them, sit in the same part of the movie theaters or go to the skating rink.
The story related to the Pow Wow yearbooks reveals how unjust practices were changed. It is worth telling (and repeating here, because it represents both the power of black pride and interracial cooperation.” (It is a lesson about “subtle” racial inequalities that still exist along with the obvious ones even in 2020).
In another article published in this space, information will be shared about segregation and integration related to the Junction City High School Yearbook, the Pow Wow, during the 1920’s and ‘40’s. The information was taken from an article written by Gaylynn Childs in 2000 and published in the “Junction City Union” newspaper. Gaylynn is the retired Executive Director of the Geary County Historical Society.
Lois Grimes, Lawrence Swisher and Starkey Caver will have their stories included in another article about how change occurred within Junction City High School between the 1920’s and 40’s.
“Clearance Sales In 1949”
In February of 1949, clearance sales in Junction City newspaper ads proclaimed bargains available to the wise shoppers. Compare these prices with those found today on similar items. Here are some examples:
Waters Appliance Department was featuring a Maytag Chieftain Washer for $124.95. Durland’s Furniture advertised occasional rockers for $16.66. They also had genuine walnut lamp tables on sale for only $8.66.
The clothing stores also had some impressive ads in 1949. Hood and Spencer’s Men’s Store offered men’s dress suits from $21.95 to $42.95, leather jackets from $5.95 to $15.00, neckties were 3 for $1.00 and socks were 2 pair for 29 cents.
The ladies had similar bargains presented to them at Townsend’s Department Store where they could purchase washable dresses from $1.88 to $5.88. Cole’s offered Justin-McCarty polka dot rayon crepe for $22.50. La Shelle’s Shoe Store promoted a new mid-high heel in blue or green calf for only $10.94.
Prices for cars at local dealerships in Junction City in 1949 ranged from $200.00 for a 1936 Pontiac to $1,625.00 for a 1948 Ford. A new Hudson, “the only car you step down into”, was advertised for $2,402.83. Pontiac and Hudson cars aren’t even made any more.
There was a large ad which introduced a new flour called “Silver Mist”. It was manufactured by Shellaberger’s Mills of Salina. The ad covered half a page in the newspaper. This new “Silver Mist” flour was bleached and enriched in a convenient shelf-rite box. There were 22 local grocery stores that carried the product.
It is imagined that our readers are budget minded, ad-reading, coupon clipping, bargain hunters who watch for those special bargains and make use of all the discounts available to them. Some of these products from the past ARE present, but the cost to purchase them is much higher.