 1940s Howe
volunteers established Howe's first volunteer fire department in the
building at 117 E. Haning Ave., where Howe Snap Center was located
until its move in 1994. Its formation, guidance and help was
begun by Billy Corbin. A fire alarm was placed in the building
and one in the adjacent building (G. T. McDonough's $ash Grocery).
At the knowledge of a fire, a call was made to the telephone
operator (no dial at that time) and she would sound a siren to summon
the volunteer fire department members. Each day at noon the
telephone operator would sound this fire siren for testing and also to
let everyone know it was 12 noon. Gladys Davis, telephone
operator in the 1940's tells that when the fire siren would ring,
everyone in town with a phone would call "where is the fire?"  - War Bond Sales - gasoline, meat, sugar stamps issues. Artificial coloring packets placed in margarine for coloring. - victory gardens planted by school students on school ground, corner of Kosse and College - women paint lines on back of legs to give the effect of wearing hose, no nylons. Short skirts in fashion to save materials - air raid drills weekly in Howe. All lights out or windows on homes covered to darken rooms. Places where one could be safe or go to in event of air attack were established. Underground cellars were built for many homes in Howe. Nearest civil defense center covering Howe was Denton, Tx., where this area would evacuate to. It is said hopefully one was not on the East side of US Hwy 75 (now Denney) because it would be almost impossible to cross the busy, bumper to bumper 2 lane traffic on US 75. - school out early so classes could pick cotton (made up on Saturdays), men and boys gone to war. - last interurban through Howe December 31, 1948. Howe School Annual dedicated to memory of Tony Webber Brinkley, who dies of wounds while serving in U.S.Navy, died at age 17. Howe School Annual has page "The Memoriam of Tony Brinkley and Donald Orr, killed in action while serving with U.S.Air Force and David Francis killed in action while serving with the U.S. Air Corps.  Grayson County "Firsts" Howe History Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |