Thursday, November 16, 2017
Atypical Elwood
Latest item at KSHS opens a chapter of history that I hadn't heard before. Two pics show a rally in Elwood, just across the river from St Joe. People are holding up signs saying "We need St Joe and St Joe needs us." The date is given as 1947-48. One pic is taken from the driver's seat of a '40s GMC bus, so the date is probably about right. I don't see any cars or identifiable clues.
Why is this notable? The people are all black. They look reasonably prosperous and the businesses look well maintained. They're clearly not pleading for emergency relief; looks more like they're asking for a better business relationship with St Joe.
Atypically the KSHS description and tags don't mention race. KSHS usually focuses on fashionable Die-Versity.
Unlike Nicodemus, Elwood isn't known as a mainly black town. The WPA guide describes it as a "poplar-lined suburb", population 849, but doesn't mention race. NW Ayer doesn't help either; it doesn't list any newspapers in Elwood. Somewhat unusual, since towns of that size generally had a weekly.
Still a mystery.
Labels: Asked and unanswered
¶ 2:31 AM
