The 1950s

MEMORY LANE
50s
BY R. AUBREY LA FOY
My teaching career began in 1950 in Greeley, Colorado at Meeker Junior High School. I was assigned to teach three classes of American History and two classes of Geography. The average class held 32 students and to be honest about it I was scared. The principal showed me my classroom, books to use and showed my class schedule. Later that first day we had a faculty meeting and I met my fellow teachers. Two of the faculty members were long time history and geography teachers and I am indebted to this day because they took me under their wings and showed me and helped me learn to teach.
In 1950, men teachers were expected to dress appropriately, meaning white shirt, necktie and a suit. I was fortunate because I had two white shirts, six neckties and two suits. One of the suits was my wedding suit that was double-breasted and the other a special from Moroney’s Men’s Clothing Store at Spencer. My shoes were great as I bought them at the Odd Lot Shoe Store in Greeley. Connie was teaching at an elementary school in Greeley and we lived in rented apartments. The pay wasn’t that great but it was a job and married couples could teach in that school system. If you recall it had not been many years before this that when a female teacher got married she had to quit teaching. We also had to live in the community we taught in at that time and prior to securing my position in Colorado beginning teachers had to pass a penmanship test. I was always glad that rule had been abandoned as I would have probably flunked.
In 1949 we had purchased 1942 Mercury and used it to pull a home- made trailer from Iowa to Colorado. There were no U-Haul Trailers at that time and when we left Greeley in 1953 we rented a truck to pack our furniture and haul it to Mason City, Iowa. Again we had no Budget Truck Rentals. The truck we rented had just returned from the Black Hill hauling horses so we were glad to drive through rain on the way out and wash the truck. In 1950 we bought a new Mercury car. It had “white wall tires” and “fender skirts.” Remember them? Soon after we bought the Mercury we also installed some “curb feelers.” Bet you haven’t heard of them for a few years. I had a “steering knob” (AKA) suicide knob as some called it on my 1936 Terriplane, my first car.
Speaking about cars my mind naturally went in that direction. Any kids today will have to find some old geezer to explain some of the terms we knew back in the 1950s. Remember “Continental kits?” They were bumper extenders and spare tire covers that were supposed to make any car as cool as a Lincoln Continental. I also miss the old “emergency brake” and at what point did it become the “parking brake.” I recall that old “emergency brake” saved my life when I was driving a 2 ½ ton GMC in the mountains of China. We were training replacements to drive our trucks and my “student” came over a hill was supposed to shift to lower gear and missed. I grabbed the “emergency brake” and prayed it would stop the truck from going over an embankment, it did. I’m sad, too, that almost all the old geezers are gone who would call the accelerator the “foot-feed.”
I observed a pick-up truck or whatever you call it today that had put on a “running board.” Kids today don’t know how much fun it was to grab onto the open windows and ride on the “running board.” I recall that when John Dillinger robbed the First National Bank at Mason City, Iowa he forced some bystanders and tellers to ride the “running boards” on his get-away car until they were safely out of town. He also threw handfuls of shingle nails out the windows to puncture the cop’s car’s tires.
The tires today are something else and there are few if any “white wall” tires. I recall that one year when I replaced my black tires the only ones I could buy were “white wall” tires. “White wall” tires were not in fashion and he sold me some at reduced price but had to put the “white wall” on the inside. Our present van has a senor that informs us when the tire is low on air. Years ago we had many a “blow-out” when our tires gave out plus air was “free.” Last month we had to pay 50 cents to get air for our tires in California but thankfully most service stations still give “free air.” We old geezers still miss gas station attendants who come out to “pump” gas, check the oil and water and wash the windows. Why do we still call them gas “pumps?” Some of you are old enough to remember really pumping the gas with a handle and seeing the gas in the upper part of the pump and as you fueled the car seeing the gas come down.
The really one great improvement that I appreciate in vehicles are the windshield wipers. Old geezers can recall the wipers in the 1950s had one speed and no washer. What a snap it is today with the alternate speed wipers and the spray to clean the windows. Vehicles now have buttons to raise and lower your side windows. One push of the button and up or down goes your window. In the “good old days” we had to crank the windows up and down. I still like that because if the car engine isn’t operating you can’t “crank” down the windows. Where did the small side windows go? Remember them? I suppose they also disappeared along with the vent in front of the windshield on the hood that you could open and get cool air on your feet. Do we still have “dimmer” switches? Remember the little button on the left side you depressed to go from bright to dim? Today they are activated with a twist or a push on a gadget sticking out below the steering wheel. Can you find where to activate you horn? It was used a lot more in the 1950s than today but our cars are so sound proof you can’t hear them anyway.
This is a quiz for you old geezers. Remember when you took your driving test? If you wanted to turn right how did you extend your left arm? Turn left? Stop? Isn’t it much easier with a “turn signal?” How do you know when your “stop” light is working? My how convenient our new vehicles are and old geezers can recall the first radio we had installed in our car as well as the heaters and window defrosters. Many of us suffered many of miles in the 1950s during the hot summer months because we didn’t have air conditioning. What a bummer! Many of us can recall that our left arm was tanner or sunburned than our right arm laying it on the open window sill. Who invented the bucket seats? The wide front seat in the 1950 cars was great for getting your girlfriend next to you but somebody spoiled that with bucket seats. Connie recalled that her Mother was impressed with our Lincoln Continental. She said, “It is like sitting in the big soft chair in the front room going down the road.” (1993) Do you have a “front room?” Now we even have “his” and “hers” adjustable heat and cold buttons. In the “olden” days we had an adjustment: hot or not so hot.
Our vehicles are a great deal safer than in the 1950s but the gas mileage sure hasn’t changed much and how do you like the spare tires we have today? Tires they aren’t and most of us can’t change a flat as we don’t know where the spare is or the tire jack. Is it still called a tire jack and if you used it be sure to get out your “manual.” Seat belts and air cushions are great but “seat belts” were not included in our 1950s vehicles. When will they insist on “helmets?” We loved our 1950 Mercury but times change, cars change and so must we to have safer vehicles.












MEMORY LANE
50s
BY R. AUBREY LA FOY
My teaching career began in 1950 in Greeley, Colorado at Meeker Junior High School. I was assigned to teach three classes of American History and two classes of Geography. The average class held 32 students and to be honest about it I was scared. The principal showed me my classroom, books to use and showed my class schedule. Later that first day we had a faculty meeting and I met my fellow teachers. Two of the faculty members were long time history and geography teachers and I am indebted to this day because they took me under their wings and showed me and helped me learn to teach.
In 1950, men teachers were expected to dress appropriately, meaning white shirt, necktie and a suit. I was fortunate because I had two white shirts, six neckties and two suits. One of the suits was my wedding suit that was double-breasted and the other a special from Moroney’s Men’s Clothing Store at Spencer. My shoes were great as I bought them at the Odd Lot Shoe Store in Greeley. Connie was teaching at an elementary school in Greeley and we lived in rented apartments. The pay wasn’t that great but it was a job and married couples could teach in that school system. If you recall it had not been many years before this that when a female teacher got married she had to quit teaching. We also had to live in the community we taught in at that time and prior to securing my position in Colorado beginning teachers had to pass a penmanship test. I was always glad that rule had been abandoned as I would have probably flunked.
In 1949 we had purchased 1942 Mercury and used it to pull a home- made trailer from Iowa to Colorado. There were no U-Haul Trailers at that time and when we left Greeley in 1953 we rented a truck to pack our furniture and haul it to Mason City, Iowa. Again we had no Budget Truck Rentals. The truck we rented had just returned from the Black Hill hauling horses so we were glad to drive through rain on the way out and wash the truck. In 1950 we bought a new Mercury car. It had “white wall tires” and “fender skirts.” Remember them? Soon after we bought the Mercury we also installed some “curb feelers.” Bet you haven’t heard of them for a few years. I had a “steering knob” (AKA) suicide knob as some called it on my 1936 Terriplane, my first car.
Speaking about cars my mind naturally went in that direction. Any kids today will have to find some old geezer to explain some of the terms we knew back in the 1950s. Remember “Continental kits?” They were bumper extenders and spare tire covers that were supposed to make any car as cool as a Lincoln Continental. I also miss the old “emergency brake” and at what point did it become the “parking brake.” I recall that old “emergency brake” saved my life when I was driving a 2 ½ ton GMC in the mountains of China. We were training replacements to drive our trucks and my “student” came over a hill was supposed to shift to lower gear and missed. I grabbed the “emergency brake” and prayed it would stop the truck from going over an embankment, it did. I’m sad, too, that almost all the old geezers are gone who would call the accelerator the “foot-feed.”
I observed a pick-up truck or whatever you call it today that had put on a “running board.” Kids today don’t know how much fun it was to grab onto the open windows and ride on the “running board.” I recall that when John Dillinger robbed the First National Bank at Mason City, Iowa he forced some bystanders and tellers to ride the “running boards” on his get-away car until they were safely out of town. He also threw handfuls of shingle nails out the windows to puncture the cop’s car’s tires.
The tires today are something else and there are few if any “white wall” tires. I recall that one year when I replaced my black tires the only ones I could buy were “white wall” tires. “White wall” tires were not in fashion and he sold me some at reduced price but had to put the “white wall” on the inside. Our present van has a senor that informs us when the tire is low on air. Years ago we had many a “blow-out” when our tires gave out plus air was “free.” Last month we had to pay 50 cents to get air for our tires in California but thankfully most service stations still give “free air.” We old geezers still miss gas station attendants who come out to “pump” gas, check the oil and water and wash the windows. Why do we still call them gas “pumps?” Some of you are old enough to remember really pumping the gas with a handle and seeing the gas in the upper part of the pump and as you fueled the car seeing the gas come down.
The really one great improvement that I appreciate in vehicles are the windshield wipers. Old geezers can recall the wipers in the 1950s had one speed and no washer. What a snap it is today with the alternate speed wipers and the spray to clean the windows. Vehicles now have buttons to raise and lower your side windows. One push of the button and up or down goes your window. In the “good old days” we had to crank the windows up and down. I still like that because if the car engine isn’t operating you can’t “crank” down the windows. Where did the small side windows go? Remember them? I suppose they also disappeared along with the vent in front of the windshield on the hood that you could open and get cool air on your feet. Do we still have “dimmer” switches? Remember the little button on the left side you depressed to go from bright to dim? Today they are activated with a twist or a push on a gadget sticking out below the steering wheel. Can you find where to activate you horn? It was used a lot more in the 1950s than today but our cars are so sound proof you can’t hear them anyway.
This is a quiz for you old geezers. Remember when you took your driving test? If you wanted to turn right how did you extend your left arm? Turn left? Stop? Isn’t it much easier with a “turn signal?” How do you know when your “stop” light is working? My how convenient our new vehicles are and old geezers can recall the first radio we had installed in our car as well as the heaters and window defrosters. Many of us suffered many of miles in the 1950s during the hot summer months because we didn’t have air conditioning. What a bummer! Many of us can recall that our left arm was tanner or sunburned than our right arm laying it on the open window sill. Who invented the bucket seats? The wide front seat in the 1950 cars was great for getting your girlfriend next to you but somebody spoiled that with bucket seats. Connie recalled that her Mother was impressed with our Lincoln Continental. She said, “It is like sitting in the big soft chair in the front room going down the road.” (1993) Do you have a “front room?” Now we even have “his” and “hers” adjustable heat and cold buttons. In the “olden” days we had an adjustment: hot or not so hot.
Our vehicles are a great deal safer than in the 1950s but the gas mileage sure hasn’t changed much and how do you like the spare tires we have today? Tires they aren’t and most of us can’t change a flat as we don’t know where the spare is or the tire jack. Is it still called a tire jack and if you used it be sure to get out your “manual.” Seat belts and air cushions are great but “seat belts” were not included in our 1950s vehicles. When will they insist on “helmets?” We loved our 1950 Mercury but times change, cars change and so must we to have safer vehicles.