Question:

In 1948, why were World War II C-47 war planes flying low over the Greater Pittston area and expected to leave “death in their wake”.

1948 – 69 YEARS AGO

The big question of the day was not only what communities, but what factions of the workforce would push their clocks ahead one hour in observance of Daylight Savings Time. In 1947, Pittston city officials sided with mine workers in keeping Standard Time. Pittston City merchants were in favor of pushing clocks ahead one hour, so merchants operated their store hours according to Daylight Savings Time, leaving residents and workers very confused. A poll showed that in 1948, West Pittston, Avoca and Wyoming adopted Daylight Savings Time. Duryea, Dupont, Yatesville and Exeter kept Standard Time and Hughestown, Jenkins Township and Pittston Township followed whatever the city of Pittston decided. Daylight Savings Time, orginally called Fast Time, was introduced and signed into law in 1918 by President Woodrow Wilson. Seven months later, the law was repealed. President Franklin Roosevelt reinstated the law in 1942. In 1974 and 1975, The US Congress extended the period of Daylight Savings Time to save energy following the 1973 oil embargo.

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1949 – 68 YEARS AGO

The DeMoto Soccorso Montedoro Society responded to the fact that the city of Pittston refused to issue the organization a liquor license. The liquor board refused on the basis that Pittston had a quota of 18 licenses for the sale of liquor and malt beverages, but in actuality there were 44 retail licenses in effect and ruled that additional licenses would be against the public welfare, peace, health and morals of the community. The society appealed the board’s decision, citing the organization was in good standing since 1916, had 258 members and the nearest licensed establishment was 1,000 feet away.

Mattern’s, located at 3 S. Main St. in Pittston, was the first flower shop from the Greater Pittston area to be selected to participate in the International Flower Show in New York City. The shop was awarded a silver medal for its display of bridal bouquets and baby novelties consisting of Calla Lilies, Snapdragons, Carnations, Orchids, Roses and Gerbera Daisies.

1950 – 67 YEARS AGO

Easter Egg Hunts were always a popular way for families to enjoy the Easter holiday. An estimated 10,000 children attended five local hunts in hopes of finding 2300 in prizes. It was also estimated that 5,000 adults accompanied the children to the events. Avoca’s hunt, sponsored by the Avoca V.F.W., estimated 2,200 children had the opportunity to find 3,000 candy eggs and 500 bags of candy containing slips noting special prizes. In Duryea, Bernie Kabacinski dressed as the Easter Bunny and Shorty Mason entertained those attending with songs. Fifteen hundred bags of candy and some special prizes were available for children at the event sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary of the V.F.W. The Wolf’s Club sponsored an event in Exeter, The Greater Pittston Jr. Chamber of Commerce sponsored West Pittston’s event and The Good Fellows Club of Dupont entertained an estimated 1,000 children on the borough’s Community House grounds.

Mrs. Gene Carichner, of Pittston, and Mrs. Reginald Evans, of West Pittston, returned home from New York City where both completed courses to become Welcome Wagon hostesses. Both women would visit new homeowners, presenting them with items from local stores and acquainting them with organizations, services and amenities available in the area. Both ladies joined more than 3,500 hostesses in 900 towns and cities through the United States. Welcome Wagon was founded by Thomas Briggs in Memphis, TN in 1928. Briggs’ idea originated from stories he had heard regarding the early Conestoga welcome wagons that greeted families moving west. Home visits were stopped in 1998 as hostesses found less people at home to accept the service. Welcome Wagon now greets new homeowners to communities through the mail.

Was it a ghost that haunted the “House in Clifton” or was the home being used as a hideout for some “New York gangsters?” Rumor had it the ghost story was more the truth as photographer Steve Lukasik and friends Basil Castner and Stanley Boyer reported. The abandoned home in question, situated in Clifton, a community 28 miles outside of Pittston, was said to have a candle burning in the window 24 hours a day . More intriguing was the story that a woman who once lived in the home burned the candle day and night for her daughter who had been killed in a tragic graduation night car accident. Some said, though, they’d heard of big city gangsters hiding out there. One night, Dispatch staff members decided to travel to the property. Upon approaching the small home, they found an electric candle burning in the window, which left them afraid to knock on the door, fearing machine gun toting gangsters might answer. A visit to a friendly neighbor’s house down the street revealed another aspect to the property’s history. After admitting to never hearing the mother-daughter story, the neighbor related a different haunting tale of a wealthy man committing suicide in the basement of the home. She also had heard the house was purchased by several Scranton businessmen who used it as a hunting cabin, guessing the light was to keep people away from the property. The Dispatch staffers reported their findings, but many area residents continued to believe the candle was a sign from the other side.

1976 – 41 YEARS AGO

Jean Fisher, Sylvia Rygiel and Corey Thomas, seniors at Wyoming Area High School, were named finalists in the 1975-76 National Merit Scholarship Program. The students were recognized as among the nation’s most intellectually talented high school seniors. They would go on to compete with other finalists for 3,000 merit scholarships.

Richard Hunsinger and Stanley Schmidt, both of Pittston, graduated from the U.S. Army’s eight-week basic combat training at Fort Dix, NJ. Both men were scheduled to attend advanced individual training at Fort Polk, LA, to be trained as infantry indirect fire crewmen. After completion, both would move to Fort Benning, GA for paratrooper training and then on to Fort Bragg, NC for their first assignment. Hunsinger and Schmidt enlisted under the Army’s cash bonus enlistment option and were to receive $2,500 upon graduation for advanced training courses. According to armytimes.com, in an effort to grow troops in 2017, the Army is offering bonuses of up to $40,000 and a variety of enlistment contracts.

Answer:

The Civilian Air Authority gave permission for C-47, military transport aircraft used in World War II, to fly below the 500 foot limit over Pittston to spray and eliminate the gypsy moth. The planes were capable of spraying a DDT solution at the rate of 965 acres in eight minutes. Between 1948 and 1951, Pittston was noted as having one of the largest gypsy moth infestations in Northeastern United States.

This Date in History:

1917 – Jeannette Pickering Rankin is sworn in as the first woman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives.

1931 – Virne “Jackie” Mitchell becomes the first woman to play for an all-male pro baseball team. In an exhibition game against the New York Yankees, she strikes out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

1932 – Charles Lindbergh pays over $50,000 ransom for his kidnapped son.

1958 – The National Advisory Council on Aeronautics is renamed NASA.

1963 – Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King begins the first non-violent campaign in Birmingham, Alabama.

1982 – Argentina invades the British-owned Falkland Islands.

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Peeking into the Past

By Judy Minsavage

Reach Judy Minsavage on Twitter @JudithMinsavage