“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).
