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History in Utah; 1948

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Erik Jordan
Erik Jordan

A small paper giving generalizations about the state of Utah in 1948 according to The Deseret News from the month of August.

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Erik Jordan June 9, 2014 Hist. 364; Dr. Cannon August 1948 Throughout the history of Utah, there have been various activities that have helped define the culture, community and to bring attention to this ¡®peculiar¡¯ state, from the Mormon migration to Mountain Meadows Massacre and more recently, the 2002 Winter Olympics. In the year of 1948, there were various activities that happened in the month of August that based off of this month, we can make generalizations to conditions in Utah during that particular year. Although August is two-thirds of the way through the year, we can still recognize what has happened throughout the earlier part of the year as well make some general predictions about the rest of the year. In The Deseret News¡¯ archives for the month of August, specific incidents and articles are given to support generalizations given hereafter based upon chronological order. In the book Utah: The Right Place by Thomas G. Alexander, there are offered key generalizations around the era of the late 1940s including: the waning effects from U.S. participation in World War Two, the beginning of the Cold War and its effects on the state, McCarthyism and its impact on state politics, political reversals in state politics, and activities that occurred frequently throughout the month that would indicate other generalizations about the year and end of the decade. Alexander discusses in chapter 14 about ¡°An American Colony¡± signifying the expansion of Americanization of Utah during the years after World War Two. Defense spending and ¡°civilian employment in Utah¡¯s defense industry dropped sharply by more than 53%¡±1 all within two years of the ending of the war. By 1948 these conditions had not improved all that much, compared to the increase in spending by the National Defense in the 1950s with the increased 1 Alexander, Thomas G. "An American Colony; Chapter 14." Utah, the Right Place. Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs Smith, 2003. 362-401. Print.
tensions with the Soviet Union and the Korean War. After the start of World War Two we know that Hill Air Force Base was the largest employer in the state, but for a time, at least in August 1948, Deseret News reported that ¡°Geneva Steel Co. Largest Employer in Utah¡±2 . The data was compiled according to a comparison of employment and payroll records. This could mean that the employment records of Hill Air Force Base were not disclosed because of it being a military ran venture, and not a private company. By the end of the month, registering for the draft had arrived in Utah, allocating for at least 3,0003 young men of at least 25 years of age to register for the draft, with the start on August 30 extending through September 18 to cover the age group of 18-25. Other significant events that Alexander discusses are largely activities of the 1950s, a few years beyond the scope of the research done for this paper. Before diving into the meat of the newspaper articles, there are a few generalizations about the newspaper related to its layout and content matter that I wanted to express, of which some have contributed to my understanding and immersion in the month of August 1948. The format of the newspaper is similar to others that I have read, both from out of the state during the same period and more recent editions. Obviously there are differences aesthetically and in content, but I feel that the main layout has remained constant throughout most newspapers located in state¡¯s capitols. Advertisements were a major influence in the newspaper, incorporating ads for major, minor and obscure companies. Many of these advertisements include banks, furniture, clothing for families, and ¡®fitness¡¯ options were available in every daily edition. They were frequently the very same ad printed various times throughout the week, with Sunday being the day with the most extensive amount of all types of advertisements. I would 2 "Geneva Steel Co. Largest Employer in Utah." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 8 Aug. 1948: A-10. Print. 3 "3,000 Utahns to Sign Up for Draft Beginning on Monday." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 29 Aug. 1948: A- 9. Print.
claim that these categories printed their ads in the newspaper because of the baby boom after World War Two. With veterans returning from the war, and the incorporation of the 1944 GI Bill, many young couples were purchasing furniture, family clothes, mortgages for new houses, and weight loss supplements to impress the young men that were ready to mingle and marry. Another aspect that remains true until today is that the Sunday editions were much more complete and filled with news than the weekday editions. Although some local newspapers continue the practice of regularly showing wedding announcements as well as obituaries, I sense that The Deseret News dedicated at least two full pages at least weekly to report them. I would attribute this to the fact that it is owned by the LDS church, is centered in limited population district, and the emphasis for families. These newspapers were filled with many pages full of local, national and world reports that had often been neglected during the rest of the week. Some common themes that have been present throughout the month have largely related to the time of the year, including summer drought conditions, death and injuries related to automobile accidents, burglary and theft, problems that exist with school districts and teacher shortages, and Utah¡¯s economy and county fairs. Other conditions will be discussed beyond the ones listed in order to develop a sense of the general conditions in the state throughout this month. Summer weather conditions in Utah always are related to low amounts of precipitation and low water levels in reservoirs. With the low amounts of precipitation come added threats to fire dangers to urban, rural, and wilderness areas. Beginning with August 1, 1948 and interpreting various articles regarding the conditions in Utah for 1948, I would generalize that there was a drought happening due to various articles appropriating water times for Ogden residents. All residents only received two hours to water their lawns and depending on their
address, what time of the day that water could be on. The article continues explaining that although it had been a dry year, the watering program was to increase water pressure for the east bench, which had low water pressure which was concerning for fire hydrants and for sanitary uses. Conditions in Utah County were not much better, with ¡°Weary Orem volunteer firemen attended four blazes within a 24-hour period that caused estimated $25,000 damage¡±4 . From these two articles, which are situated next to each other in the newspaper allow for a generalization about the weather of the year reminding the reader that Utah exist within a steppe/desert climate where it is dry throughout the summer months. There was an article that described a 2,000 acre fire in Box Elder County that spread mostly over range land, but it destroyed some 60 acres of wheat. Conditions in Provo were not much better as a group of about forty people gathered to a hearing for the City Commission attempting bringing forward the issue that a ¡°Swim Pool Urged by Provo Group¡±5 and although the mayor heard their plea, he responded with details in which several hundred thousand dollar bond would be needed for the pool and other purchases. Including this bond with other financial obligations would put the city budget past its legal limit. Whereas Provo did not have a pool at the time of publication, a neighboring article discusses how youth in Tremonton6 are benefitting from Bear River high school¡¯s pool, averaging almost three hundred swimmers daily. Although probably not intended to be a slam on Provo¡¯s inaccessible pool, I think the editors of the newspaper felt they could give positive media to Bear River while Provo¡¯s residents were left out. Various other articles 4 "Orem Firemen Answer Four Calls in 24 Hours." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 1 Aug. 1948: A-7. Print. 5 "Swim Pool Urged by Provo Group." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 1 Aug. 1948: A-11. Print. 6 "Bear River Youths Enjoy High School Pool." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] July-Aug. 1948: A-11. Print.
discuss different water rights as well as other weather related news reports that impacted the lives of a majority of Utahans7 . As Utah reached the mid-20th Century, diseases were being eradicated with the furthering education about vaccinations and using preventative means. Polio, however, had not been diminished as of yet and four new cases were reported8 by the beginning of August, bring the state total to 43 for that year. Various other disasters happened throughout the month including a three-car accident that killed four near Vernal9 , a two-car accident in Ogden that killed two10 , and a two-car accident in Salt Lake that killed two11 . These eight automobile accidents all occurred within the first half of the month, while many other accidents happened later on in the month.1213 These example allow for a better understanding of the safety features in the cars of the day which were near nothing compared to features installed in the cars of today. The adherence of using seat belts was much more relaxed in this time period, as well as general safety features now fully incorporated into automobiles. The speed limits, as well as quality of the roadways have greatly increased since this time period, including traffic lights, street lights in less urban areas and divided highways have helped decrease the mortality rate for motor vehicle accidents. According the CDC the mortality rate for motor vehicle accidents in 1948 was 22.1 deaths per 7 "Storm Adds .54 Inch to August Fall." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 6 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print. 8 "Four New Polio Cases Reported." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 2 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print. 9 "Four Killed, One Seriously Hurt In Three-Car Accident Near Vernal." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 2 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print. 10 "2 Auto Crash Victims Succumb." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 5 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print. 11 "Two Utahns Killed, Four Injured When Auto Hits Bus in S.L." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 15 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print. 12 "S.L. Youth, 14, Killed, Four Hurt in Crash." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 22 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print 13 "Five Salt Lakers Die in Idaho Collision." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 29 Aug. 1948: A-1. Print.
100,000 for all ages14 , compared to the mortality rate of 2010, which was 11.4 per 100,000 for all ages.15 Utah had a total of 34 deaths by motor vehicle accidents in August16 , the highest total of any month during 1948. This statistic allows for interpretation that the long, hot summer days and the near end of summer break for all school aged children would lead more families to go out to various resorts, reservoirs, and outdoor activities in general. This increase in automobile traffic likely led to the largest number of deaths in a month for the entire year. The long, hot summer days in August also allow for an increase in theft and burglary because of families going on short day trips and possibly leaving homes unlocked, delinquent children out of the normal school schedule, leaving vehicles unlocked or with windows rolled down, allowing for easy theft, and having windows remain open in the home to help cool down home. All of these reasons led to an increased level of theft and burglary in August. In one occurrence, five teenagers reportedly stole over $1,000 worth of items from an oil firm17 . Stemming from both a boredom of a summer night and the possibility of having little parental oversight, these events were probably more frequent than what was reported. In a Salt Lake City home, $150 worth of silver was stolen while the owners were away from their house18 . In this instance, the article states that the door was jimmied open and the thief left the back door 14 United States of America. Federal Security Agency. Public Health Service. Vital Statistics of the United States 1948. Comp. Halbert L. Dunn, M.D. Washington D.C.: United States Government, 1950. Part I. Web. 11 June 2014. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/VSUS_1948_1.pdf>. 15 Murphy SL, Xu JQ, Kochanek KD. Deaths: Final data for 2010. National Vital Statistics Reports. vol. 61 no 4. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2013. 16 United States of America. National Center for Health Statistics. Division of. National Vital Statistics Reports. Comp. Halbert L. Dunn, M.D. Vol. 61. Washington D.C.: United States Government, 1950. No 4. 8 May 2013. Web. 11 June 2014. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_04.pdf>. 17 "Three Youths Admit Burglary of Oil Firm." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 27 Aug. 1948: A-15. Print. 18 "$150 Stolen From S.L. Home." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 1 Aug. 1948: A-3. Print.
unlocked. Another instance was a bit more newsworthy as three prisoners escaped from the Utah state prison in the middle of the day19 . Two of the three men were caught within three hours of escaping and the last escapee was caught the next day. The Utah state prison had grown too small20 for the number of delinquents being held within its walls and this fact possibly allowed these three men to escape. The warden of the prison explicitly asks for the speedy completion of the new Utah state penitentiary located at the point of the mountain. The state prison that was being used had been in operation as a prison since 1855, almost 100 years before. As August is winding down, a main topic for many families and retailers is the return of children to school. With the return to school, many tensions arise between teachers and their supervisors, teacher shortages, and the start of the school year. For the school year of 1948, a large topic was the shortage of school teachers throughout the state, especially in the rural areas. Not much has changed through the years. One possibility that lead to the shortage of teachers includes the decrease in the School levy21 operated by the State that was initiated the year before. While the budget did increase due to 144 additional classrooms22 , the levy was reduced because of an increase in the states tax revenue from increased values of property taxes. With this influx of additional classrooms, the budget should have increased with the change instead of only changing the minimal amount. This is the problem with education in Utah, with a minimum budget permitted to allow for a high teacher-student ratio which decreases the efficiency of these teachers. An editorial following the previous newspaper articles articulates majestically the problem that Utah¡¯s school system has gone through for the 1948-1949 school year and every 19 "2 Utah Escapees Nabbed, Third at Large." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 27 Aug. 1948: A-1. Print. 20 "Warden Asks Improvements." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 20 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print. 21 "School Levy Due for 3-mill Cut." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 4 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print. 22 "Minimum School Levy Reduced From Last Year." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 6 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print.
school year since. The author of the editorial cites the lack of adequate school buildings as also being a large problem, discussing the fact that for 15 years no schools were able to be constructed due to the Great Depression and World War Two23 . Also stated is the fact that preschool aged children were going to increase up to 30% in the upcoming years. Little did they know that the baby boom following World War Two was only beginning, a boom that would continue into the 1960s, with school related repercussions until the 1980s. Another article articulates the beginning of the school year in Nebo School District in the southern portion of Utah Valley, giving notice of the begin date for students as well as workshop days and start days for teachers. This announcement was made less than a month before the beginning of the impending school year and only two weeks before most teachers had to report back to work24 . As an impending school teacher, I would want more than a two week notice to start up the school year again. The article gives no reason as to why such the late notice to families and teachers but the article includes all of the vacation times for the entire year and the end date of the school year. Perhaps the change of setting the first day of school for teachers and for students has evolved since this time in order to give consideration to planning family events and an overall sense of allowing families to prepare for the upcoming school year. The planning phase for the state included teachers on letters of authorization, which allows people without certificates to teach in the public school system and are used as fillers for certified teachers25 . This article came out only a week before the impending school year was to start in some districts, and it could have been sooner for other districts throughout the state. The hardest hit areas were estimated to be rural schools due to turnover in certified teachers and increases in students. This all comes with a 23 "Utah Faces a School Shortage." Editorial. The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 7 Aug. 1948: A-4. Print. 24 "Nebo School District Schools to Open Sept. 7." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 10 Aug. 1948: A-11. Print. 25 "Lack of Teachers Still Plagues Utah." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 30 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print.
record number of education graduates at the three largest universities in the state the previous school year. School related problems have seemed to always plague Utah and appear to continually plague the state until proper and adequate legislation is proposed and passed. As the months of summer vacation come to a close, two events kick-start the end of summer and the beginning of a ¡®new year¡¯: school starting and county fairs. As a relatively rural state, Utah seemed to pride itself in its county and city fairs in 1948. Headlines in newspapers were abundant for the entire month of August, featuring advertisements and headlines, giving previews of events at local fairs. These fairs provided an entertainment and economic value to rural communities, attracting many people throughout the state to various county fairs to participate in the festivities and to remember the rural heritage from which we all come from26 . The Davis county fair was preparing to field exhibits of all breeds and kinds of livestock, a flower show, orchard produce, and women¡¯s exhibits, the first time since the beginning of World War Two27 . While a whole page was dedicated for the Davis county fair, most counties didn¡¯t receive as much clout. In Cache County, participants declared it as having the best livestock and exhibits ever seen within the state. This article discusses exclusively the winnings of each livestock group, reminding modern readers of the original intent of county fairs, to show off livestock which had been worked and groomed for countless hours by youth and farmers/ranchers28 . Modern thrill and amusement rides have devalued county fairs throughout the state, giving a small percentage of the gratitude towards the agriculture sector within the state. 26 "County Speeds Programs For Fair Opening Aug. 25." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 9 Aug. 1948: B-2. Print. 27 "Davis County Opens Two-Day Celebration at Lagoon Tomorrow." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 25 Aug. 1948: A-10. Print. 28 "Throngs Acclaim Fair at Cache 'Among Best'" The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 28 Aug. 1948: A-6. Print.
Although many things have been omitted that occurred in August 1948, the items discussed dictated more significance to me in a historical context. By evaluating public activities, county fairs and school districts, the values of a community are demonstrated. These public activities encourage readers to give value to counties and communities at large and to better appreciate life in Utah. The incorporation of automobile accidents and local burglaries allow communities to become more aware of behaviors that can increase the safety of families. Giving this awareness allows for families to increase in their awareness of their surroundings and knowledge towards what they can do to better protect themselves. Discussing the importance of water usage allows for the public to become more knowledgeable and responsive to the world around each of us.

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History in Utah; 1948

  • 1. Erik Jordan June 9, 2014 Hist. 364; Dr. Cannon August 1948 Throughout the history of Utah, there have been various activities that have helped define the culture, community and to bring attention to this ¡®peculiar¡¯ state, from the Mormon migration to Mountain Meadows Massacre and more recently, the 2002 Winter Olympics. In the year of 1948, there were various activities that happened in the month of August that based off of this month, we can make generalizations to conditions in Utah during that particular year. Although August is two-thirds of the way through the year, we can still recognize what has happened throughout the earlier part of the year as well make some general predictions about the rest of the year. In The Deseret News¡¯ archives for the month of August, specific incidents and articles are given to support generalizations given hereafter based upon chronological order. In the book Utah: The Right Place by Thomas G. Alexander, there are offered key generalizations around the era of the late 1940s including: the waning effects from U.S. participation in World War Two, the beginning of the Cold War and its effects on the state, McCarthyism and its impact on state politics, political reversals in state politics, and activities that occurred frequently throughout the month that would indicate other generalizations about the year and end of the decade. Alexander discusses in chapter 14 about ¡°An American Colony¡± signifying the expansion of Americanization of Utah during the years after World War Two. Defense spending and ¡°civilian employment in Utah¡¯s defense industry dropped sharply by more than 53%¡±1 all within two years of the ending of the war. By 1948 these conditions had not improved all that much, compared to the increase in spending by the National Defense in the 1950s with the increased 1 Alexander, Thomas G. "An American Colony; Chapter 14." Utah, the Right Place. Salt Lake City, UT: Gibbs Smith, 2003. 362-401. Print.
  • 2. tensions with the Soviet Union and the Korean War. After the start of World War Two we know that Hill Air Force Base was the largest employer in the state, but for a time, at least in August 1948, Deseret News reported that ¡°Geneva Steel Co. Largest Employer in Utah¡±2 . The data was compiled according to a comparison of employment and payroll records. This could mean that the employment records of Hill Air Force Base were not disclosed because of it being a military ran venture, and not a private company. By the end of the month, registering for the draft had arrived in Utah, allocating for at least 3,0003 young men of at least 25 years of age to register for the draft, with the start on August 30 extending through September 18 to cover the age group of 18-25. Other significant events that Alexander discusses are largely activities of the 1950s, a few years beyond the scope of the research done for this paper. Before diving into the meat of the newspaper articles, there are a few generalizations about the newspaper related to its layout and content matter that I wanted to express, of which some have contributed to my understanding and immersion in the month of August 1948. The format of the newspaper is similar to others that I have read, both from out of the state during the same period and more recent editions. Obviously there are differences aesthetically and in content, but I feel that the main layout has remained constant throughout most newspapers located in state¡¯s capitols. Advertisements were a major influence in the newspaper, incorporating ads for major, minor and obscure companies. Many of these advertisements include banks, furniture, clothing for families, and ¡®fitness¡¯ options were available in every daily edition. They were frequently the very same ad printed various times throughout the week, with Sunday being the day with the most extensive amount of all types of advertisements. I would 2 "Geneva Steel Co. Largest Employer in Utah." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 8 Aug. 1948: A-10. Print. 3 "3,000 Utahns to Sign Up for Draft Beginning on Monday." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 29 Aug. 1948: A- 9. Print.
  • 3. claim that these categories printed their ads in the newspaper because of the baby boom after World War Two. With veterans returning from the war, and the incorporation of the 1944 GI Bill, many young couples were purchasing furniture, family clothes, mortgages for new houses, and weight loss supplements to impress the young men that were ready to mingle and marry. Another aspect that remains true until today is that the Sunday editions were much more complete and filled with news than the weekday editions. Although some local newspapers continue the practice of regularly showing wedding announcements as well as obituaries, I sense that The Deseret News dedicated at least two full pages at least weekly to report them. I would attribute this to the fact that it is owned by the LDS church, is centered in limited population district, and the emphasis for families. These newspapers were filled with many pages full of local, national and world reports that had often been neglected during the rest of the week. Some common themes that have been present throughout the month have largely related to the time of the year, including summer drought conditions, death and injuries related to automobile accidents, burglary and theft, problems that exist with school districts and teacher shortages, and Utah¡¯s economy and county fairs. Other conditions will be discussed beyond the ones listed in order to develop a sense of the general conditions in the state throughout this month. Summer weather conditions in Utah always are related to low amounts of precipitation and low water levels in reservoirs. With the low amounts of precipitation come added threats to fire dangers to urban, rural, and wilderness areas. Beginning with August 1, 1948 and interpreting various articles regarding the conditions in Utah for 1948, I would generalize that there was a drought happening due to various articles appropriating water times for Ogden residents. All residents only received two hours to water their lawns and depending on their
  • 4. address, what time of the day that water could be on. The article continues explaining that although it had been a dry year, the watering program was to increase water pressure for the east bench, which had low water pressure which was concerning for fire hydrants and for sanitary uses. Conditions in Utah County were not much better, with ¡°Weary Orem volunteer firemen attended four blazes within a 24-hour period that caused estimated $25,000 damage¡±4 . From these two articles, which are situated next to each other in the newspaper allow for a generalization about the weather of the year reminding the reader that Utah exist within a steppe/desert climate where it is dry throughout the summer months. There was an article that described a 2,000 acre fire in Box Elder County that spread mostly over range land, but it destroyed some 60 acres of wheat. Conditions in Provo were not much better as a group of about forty people gathered to a hearing for the City Commission attempting bringing forward the issue that a ¡°Swim Pool Urged by Provo Group¡±5 and although the mayor heard their plea, he responded with details in which several hundred thousand dollar bond would be needed for the pool and other purchases. Including this bond with other financial obligations would put the city budget past its legal limit. Whereas Provo did not have a pool at the time of publication, a neighboring article discusses how youth in Tremonton6 are benefitting from Bear River high school¡¯s pool, averaging almost three hundred swimmers daily. Although probably not intended to be a slam on Provo¡¯s inaccessible pool, I think the editors of the newspaper felt they could give positive media to Bear River while Provo¡¯s residents were left out. Various other articles 4 "Orem Firemen Answer Four Calls in 24 Hours." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 1 Aug. 1948: A-7. Print. 5 "Swim Pool Urged by Provo Group." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 1 Aug. 1948: A-11. Print. 6 "Bear River Youths Enjoy High School Pool." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] July-Aug. 1948: A-11. Print.
  • 5. discuss different water rights as well as other weather related news reports that impacted the lives of a majority of Utahans7 . As Utah reached the mid-20th Century, diseases were being eradicated with the furthering education about vaccinations and using preventative means. Polio, however, had not been diminished as of yet and four new cases were reported8 by the beginning of August, bring the state total to 43 for that year. Various other disasters happened throughout the month including a three-car accident that killed four near Vernal9 , a two-car accident in Ogden that killed two10 , and a two-car accident in Salt Lake that killed two11 . These eight automobile accidents all occurred within the first half of the month, while many other accidents happened later on in the month.1213 These example allow for a better understanding of the safety features in the cars of the day which were near nothing compared to features installed in the cars of today. The adherence of using seat belts was much more relaxed in this time period, as well as general safety features now fully incorporated into automobiles. The speed limits, as well as quality of the roadways have greatly increased since this time period, including traffic lights, street lights in less urban areas and divided highways have helped decrease the mortality rate for motor vehicle accidents. According the CDC the mortality rate for motor vehicle accidents in 1948 was 22.1 deaths per 7 "Storm Adds .54 Inch to August Fall." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 6 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print. 8 "Four New Polio Cases Reported." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 2 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print. 9 "Four Killed, One Seriously Hurt In Three-Car Accident Near Vernal." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 2 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print. 10 "2 Auto Crash Victims Succumb." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 5 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print. 11 "Two Utahns Killed, Four Injured When Auto Hits Bus in S.L." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 15 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print. 12 "S.L. Youth, 14, Killed, Four Hurt in Crash." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 22 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print 13 "Five Salt Lakers Die in Idaho Collision." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 29 Aug. 1948: A-1. Print.
  • 6. 100,000 for all ages14 , compared to the mortality rate of 2010, which was 11.4 per 100,000 for all ages.15 Utah had a total of 34 deaths by motor vehicle accidents in August16 , the highest total of any month during 1948. This statistic allows for interpretation that the long, hot summer days and the near end of summer break for all school aged children would lead more families to go out to various resorts, reservoirs, and outdoor activities in general. This increase in automobile traffic likely led to the largest number of deaths in a month for the entire year. The long, hot summer days in August also allow for an increase in theft and burglary because of families going on short day trips and possibly leaving homes unlocked, delinquent children out of the normal school schedule, leaving vehicles unlocked or with windows rolled down, allowing for easy theft, and having windows remain open in the home to help cool down home. All of these reasons led to an increased level of theft and burglary in August. In one occurrence, five teenagers reportedly stole over $1,000 worth of items from an oil firm17 . Stemming from both a boredom of a summer night and the possibility of having little parental oversight, these events were probably more frequent than what was reported. In a Salt Lake City home, $150 worth of silver was stolen while the owners were away from their house18 . In this instance, the article states that the door was jimmied open and the thief left the back door 14 United States of America. Federal Security Agency. Public Health Service. Vital Statistics of the United States 1948. Comp. Halbert L. Dunn, M.D. Washington D.C.: United States Government, 1950. Part I. Web. 11 June 2014. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/VSUS_1948_1.pdf>. 15 Murphy SL, Xu JQ, Kochanek KD. Deaths: Final data for 2010. National Vital Statistics Reports. vol. 61 no 4. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2013. 16 United States of America. National Center for Health Statistics. Division of. National Vital Statistics Reports. Comp. Halbert L. Dunn, M.D. Vol. 61. Washington D.C.: United States Government, 1950. No 4. 8 May 2013. Web. 11 June 2014. <http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr61/nvsr61_04.pdf>. 17 "Three Youths Admit Burglary of Oil Firm." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 27 Aug. 1948: A-15. Print. 18 "$150 Stolen From S.L. Home." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 1 Aug. 1948: A-3. Print.
  • 7. unlocked. Another instance was a bit more newsworthy as three prisoners escaped from the Utah state prison in the middle of the day19 . Two of the three men were caught within three hours of escaping and the last escapee was caught the next day. The Utah state prison had grown too small20 for the number of delinquents being held within its walls and this fact possibly allowed these three men to escape. The warden of the prison explicitly asks for the speedy completion of the new Utah state penitentiary located at the point of the mountain. The state prison that was being used had been in operation as a prison since 1855, almost 100 years before. As August is winding down, a main topic for many families and retailers is the return of children to school. With the return to school, many tensions arise between teachers and their supervisors, teacher shortages, and the start of the school year. For the school year of 1948, a large topic was the shortage of school teachers throughout the state, especially in the rural areas. Not much has changed through the years. One possibility that lead to the shortage of teachers includes the decrease in the School levy21 operated by the State that was initiated the year before. While the budget did increase due to 144 additional classrooms22 , the levy was reduced because of an increase in the states tax revenue from increased values of property taxes. With this influx of additional classrooms, the budget should have increased with the change instead of only changing the minimal amount. This is the problem with education in Utah, with a minimum budget permitted to allow for a high teacher-student ratio which decreases the efficiency of these teachers. An editorial following the previous newspaper articles articulates majestically the problem that Utah¡¯s school system has gone through for the 1948-1949 school year and every 19 "2 Utah Escapees Nabbed, Third at Large." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 27 Aug. 1948: A-1. Print. 20 "Warden Asks Improvements." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 20 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print. 21 "School Levy Due for 3-mill Cut." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 4 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print. 22 "Minimum School Levy Reduced From Last Year." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 6 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print.
  • 8. school year since. The author of the editorial cites the lack of adequate school buildings as also being a large problem, discussing the fact that for 15 years no schools were able to be constructed due to the Great Depression and World War Two23 . Also stated is the fact that preschool aged children were going to increase up to 30% in the upcoming years. Little did they know that the baby boom following World War Two was only beginning, a boom that would continue into the 1960s, with school related repercussions until the 1980s. Another article articulates the beginning of the school year in Nebo School District in the southern portion of Utah Valley, giving notice of the begin date for students as well as workshop days and start days for teachers. This announcement was made less than a month before the beginning of the impending school year and only two weeks before most teachers had to report back to work24 . As an impending school teacher, I would want more than a two week notice to start up the school year again. The article gives no reason as to why such the late notice to families and teachers but the article includes all of the vacation times for the entire year and the end date of the school year. Perhaps the change of setting the first day of school for teachers and for students has evolved since this time in order to give consideration to planning family events and an overall sense of allowing families to prepare for the upcoming school year. The planning phase for the state included teachers on letters of authorization, which allows people without certificates to teach in the public school system and are used as fillers for certified teachers25 . This article came out only a week before the impending school year was to start in some districts, and it could have been sooner for other districts throughout the state. The hardest hit areas were estimated to be rural schools due to turnover in certified teachers and increases in students. This all comes with a 23 "Utah Faces a School Shortage." Editorial. The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 7 Aug. 1948: A-4. Print. 24 "Nebo School District Schools to Open Sept. 7." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 10 Aug. 1948: A-11. Print. 25 "Lack of Teachers Still Plagues Utah." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 30 Aug. 1948: B-1. Print.
  • 9. record number of education graduates at the three largest universities in the state the previous school year. School related problems have seemed to always plague Utah and appear to continually plague the state until proper and adequate legislation is proposed and passed. As the months of summer vacation come to a close, two events kick-start the end of summer and the beginning of a ¡®new year¡¯: school starting and county fairs. As a relatively rural state, Utah seemed to pride itself in its county and city fairs in 1948. Headlines in newspapers were abundant for the entire month of August, featuring advertisements and headlines, giving previews of events at local fairs. These fairs provided an entertainment and economic value to rural communities, attracting many people throughout the state to various county fairs to participate in the festivities and to remember the rural heritage from which we all come from26 . The Davis county fair was preparing to field exhibits of all breeds and kinds of livestock, a flower show, orchard produce, and women¡¯s exhibits, the first time since the beginning of World War Two27 . While a whole page was dedicated for the Davis county fair, most counties didn¡¯t receive as much clout. In Cache County, participants declared it as having the best livestock and exhibits ever seen within the state. This article discusses exclusively the winnings of each livestock group, reminding modern readers of the original intent of county fairs, to show off livestock which had been worked and groomed for countless hours by youth and farmers/ranchers28 . Modern thrill and amusement rides have devalued county fairs throughout the state, giving a small percentage of the gratitude towards the agriculture sector within the state. 26 "County Speeds Programs For Fair Opening Aug. 25." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 9 Aug. 1948: B-2. Print. 27 "Davis County Opens Two-Day Celebration at Lagoon Tomorrow." The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 25 Aug. 1948: A-10. Print. 28 "Throngs Acclaim Fair at Cache 'Among Best'" The Deseret News [Salt Lake City] 28 Aug. 1948: A-6. Print.
  • 10. Although many things have been omitted that occurred in August 1948, the items discussed dictated more significance to me in a historical context. By evaluating public activities, county fairs and school districts, the values of a community are demonstrated. These public activities encourage readers to give value to counties and communities at large and to better appreciate life in Utah. The incorporation of automobile accidents and local burglaries allow communities to become more aware of behaviors that can increase the safety of families. Giving this awareness allows for families to increase in their awareness of their surroundings and knowledge towards what they can do to better protect themselves. Discussing the importance of water usage allows for the public to become more knowledgeable and responsive to the world around each of us.