This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
This newspaper page contains 14 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Decatur Daily
Location
Decatur, Alabama, United States of America
Date
Dec 16, 1941
Page
4
A historical notice laments the civilian toll in Japan describing the deaths as honorable while condemning the war-starting actions as dishonorable, reflecting on the sorrow felt by Japanese households.
A lighthearted exchange in Decatur jokes about avoiding Army service by joining the Navy. Two locals discuss how to steer clear of conscription, with the punchline suggesting enlistment as the path.
The Decatur city report for year ending September 30 1941 notes reduced bonded debt and paid current obligations while funding a street paving program and school projects. It urges continued public service expansion amid rising costs and praises leadership as war mobilization drives calls for funds, including Morgan for an $8 000 contribution, and reflects on Pearl Harbor with Secretary Knox outlining naval losses and Japanese strategy.
The dispatch analyzes Nazi retreat from the Leningrad front as a planned winter defense, noting heavy equipment losses, need to feed and reorganize troops, and the Red Army’s resilience. It also discusses Rommel in Libya, potential British moves toward Tobruk, and political shifts in South America shaping possible war alignments.
A boy from troop 82 asks Corporal James Herndon which Scout troop he belongs to. The scene reflects wartime morale and civic life during December in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Logan Clendening discusses concentrated rations for soldiers inspired by the Spanish American War era. He recalls a 1898 detachment living on small rations in a vacant lot, arguing a cigarette‑box sized ration could speed forward troops, while noting morale and fillingness issues.
A quirky fragmented piece mixes a dental chair scene with stray lines about a radio and military life. The narrator endures a dentist visit while odd vignettes touch on a new corporal’s progress and a man writing home.
A speaker notes first promotion step but advises against moving to a larger house and urges neighborly talk as usual. A professor's daughter cites financial limits in a marriage proposal, while a student suitor is puzzled. A man named Jonathan Ives muses on biblical ages and wives, and women abandon aluminum pots.
The second defendant in the killing of David T. Blakey was brought to trial after Ellis Howard Rowe, 25, was convicted of murder and sentenced to death following a 40 minute jury deliberation. The other defendant, Charlie Ray Holland, 19, faces trial. Blakey's beaten body with hands tied was found in the Alabama River on November 28.
Deputy Sheriff O P Reagan and Jailers Jeff Burnett and Wert Keeling resigned from county jobs to take posts as railway bridge and tunnel guards. Their first day brought a dismissal slip for temporary guards by a section foreman, later found to be a mistaken order.
The Department of Commerce projects total retail sales in 1941 to reach about 54 billion dollars, about 18 percent higher than the previous year, signaling continued consumer strength amid wartime conditions.
Walter Winchell On Broadway column sketches society and political intrigue in 1941. Princess Stefanie Hohenlohe faces deportation fallout linked to Reich figures while Peggy Joyce hints at a new marriage. Public figures like Doris Duke, Errol Flynn, and Joe Howard appear in rapid fire vignettes of romance, military duty, and nightlife.
The column discusses Margaret Leech as a top Pulitzer candidate but notes she may be blocked by family connections to the Pulitzers. It mentions various public figures, radio surveys, and wartime gossip, including Burton Heath’s upcoming expose, FBI recruitment, and Betsy Cushing Roosevelt’s secret happiness in town.
The aunt of a prominent New York girl died in California and was shipped east for burial. The coffin was opened for a final look but showed a full uniformed general instead. A War Department call revealed the error and the aunt had been buried at Arlington with full military honors.
We want people to find what they are looking for at NewspaperArchive. We are confident that we have the newspapers that will increase the value of your family history or other historical research. With our 7-day free trial, you can view the documents you find for free.
People find the most success using advanced search. Try plugging in keywords, names, dates, and locations, and get matched with results from the entire collection of newspapers at NewspaperArchive!
You can also successfully find newspapers by these browse options. Explore our archives on your own!
Browse by location and discover newspapers from all across the world.
Browse by date and find publications for a specific day or era.
Browse old newspaper publications to find specific newspapers.