Old Images Research Archives

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1964-65 FC-170 Fire(?) Jeep at New York City World’s Fair

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Mark shared a link to this great photo of a Fire or Special Utility FC-170 working at the New York City World’s Fair in 1964-1965. The photo can be found here.

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1946 War Asset Sale of Surplus Jeeps

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Old News Articles • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: This photo shows the crowds at the Benicia Arsenal. It was published in the June 30, 1945, issue of the Beatrice Times out of Beatrice, Nebraska:

1946-06-30-beatrice-times-nebraska-jeep-surplus-sale-benecia-lores

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Originally published November 5th, 2020: The June 25, 1946, issue of the San Francisco Examiner shared the news that more than 5000 veterans lined up begining at midnight to purchase just over 1500 available jeeps, though not that many jeeps would actually sell. For most veterans, there multi-hour waits were in vain. The buyer of the first jeep discovered that his jeep wouldn’t start, but the motor pool helped him get it going.

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Globemaster Airplanes and Jeeps

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Old News Articles • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

No year listed on this press photo that shows a slat grille MB being loaded into a Globemaster. The photo appears to have been ordered on July 2nd, 1947, but that’s likely not the date of the photo. My attempt to find the photo in a newspaper failed, but I did find a few other photos of jeeps and the Douglas C-74 Globemaster.

View all the information on eBay

“This is an original press photo. Military – Jeep – Globemaster aircraftPhoto measures 10.25 x 8inches. Photo is dated –NONE.”

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In the summer of 1946, a Globemaster was loaded with 15 jeeps. A few photos of the event made the newspapers. This first one appears to have an illustrated jeep on the elevator:

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CREDIT: June 22, 1946, in The Sentinel out of Carlisle, Pennsylvania

This photo shows a broader look at the lineup of jeeps.

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CREDIT: June 23, 1946, in the Quad City Times out of Davenport, Iowa.

This article in the September 06, 1945, issue of the Daily News out of Los Angeles introduces the world to the new Globemaster. The bottom image shows two jeeps loaded next to one another.

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Classy Jeep at Kaneohe, Hawaii

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Sedan-jeep This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This undated article and photo from an unknown newspaper was posted to Facebook where Roger Martin spotted it. The “classy jeep” is driven by Lieut. Commander W. P. Tyler, USN, of Medium Seaplane Squadron Three. There were eighteen privately owned jeeps undergoing modifications. My guess is that the photo was taken  post WWII given the jeeps were privately owned.

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December 1942 at Camp Hale in Colorado … Brrr

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This article from the December 30, 1942, issue of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram shares a press photo that has been available on eBay a couple times. Camp Hale was located just north of Leadville. It sat at 9500 felt and must have been a difficult place to train (cold + high altitude .. even the USO didn’t go there). The camp was only active until 1945.

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UPDATE Posted Feb 14, 2018: Here’s the same photo with nearly the same caption on eBay. The one shown at the bottom of the post was for sale on eBay in 2015.

“1942 Press Photo Soldiers driving jeeps through snow at Camp Hale, Colorado.
This is an original press photo. Snow jeeps—Parka-clad soldiers whip howitizer-carrying jeeps through unbroken snow at Camp Hale, high in the Colorado Rockies. The pack artillery of the Camp Hale mountain troops use the rugged little jeeps to carry dismantled sections of 75 millimeter howitzers until the going is so rough that mules have to take over (United States) (Wars) (World War II) (Camp Hale, Colorado) (Mountain troops) Photo measures 9.25 x 7 inches. Photo is dated 12-23-1942.”

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Original Post May 2, 2015: “1942 WWII Parka Clad Soldiers In Jeeps Camp Hale Colorado Press Photo”

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1946 Photos of Roy Harmon and Underwater Jeep

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE II: Unfortunately, while the photo sold, the seller was unable to find it.

UPDATE: This photo shows two photographers riding through the water taking photos as Sgt. Roy Harmon, from Washington, D.C., navigates the jeep (named The Reluctant Turtle). Given it was taken in October, the water can’t be very warm. Below this photo are two additional photos that also include Roy Harmon from the same event.

“This is an original press photo. Bay Ridge, Maryland — Photographers hitch a ride to photograph the progress of the “underwater” jeep demonstrated by the Navy today (October 17). Sgt. Roy Harmon, USMC of Washington, DC, clothes in a Marine wading outfit, drives the jeep in 6-foot of water. The underwater operation is made possible by a waterproof kit, which contains an ignition system, waterproof battery, distributor and coil, and aviation-type spark plugs. Two periscope-like pipes serve for the air intake and the exhaust. The jeep, which cannot float, can cavort around in water 6-feet deep for a period of 45-minutes and will make amphibious operations much easier.Photo measures 9 x 7.25inches. Photo is dated 10-17-1946.”

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The October 21, 1946, issue of Hope Star (Hope, Arkansas) featured this image:

1946-10-21-hope-star-arkanasas-roy-harmon-underwater-jeep-lores

An October 21, 1946, article in the The Morning Call (Paterson, New Jersey) provides some great additional details about the ‘submarine’ kit:

Clipping from The Morning Call - Newspapers.com

 

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Original Post in 2017: The below photo was likely taken by the intrepid photographers pictured in the photos above:

As part of the post, Luis added the following comment:  “Its a true USMC jeep as seen by the use of the electric “Dynamo” windshield wiper motor which were used only on Marine Corp jeeps, these motors are quite rare and highly desirable for a true USMC jeep restoration.”

From the eBay ad: “1946 Press Photo Bay Ridge MD Sgt Roy Harmon USMC in underwater jeep. .This is an original press photo. Photo measures 9 x 7.25inches. Photo is dated 10-17-1946.”

1946-10-17-underwater-jeep1

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“Jeep Range” Photos and Articles

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Tyndall Field in Florida is credited with creating the first “jeep range”, a place where jeeps carried objects for gunnery practice. Here are a few pics and articles about “jeep ranges”.

This photo appeared in the Atlanta Constitution Sun newspaper on June 06, 1943:

1943-06-06-atlanta-constitution-jeep-range-lores

A year earlier, a model plane was attached to a jeep in the first iteration of a jeep range:

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Here are some larger photos of the ones shown above from the July 12, 1942, issue of the Fort Worth Star Telegram:

1942-07-12-fort-worth-star-telegram-jeep-range-gunnary-practice-pic-lores2 1942-07-12-fort-worth-star-telegram-jeep-range-gunnary-practice-pic-lores1

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Photos of CJ-2A Crossing River in Colombia on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

These pics are likely from the late 1940s and show a CJ-2A being ferried across the Rio Magdalina river in Colombia.

View all the information on eBay

“(circa late 1930’s, early 1940’s)… A great series chronicling the task of getting your jeep across the Rio Magdalina, Colombia South America… jungle-primitive as one would expect! Great detail showing the car ferry and their local methods of getting across river. Photo Came from an estate where owner spent years in Colombia as a pilot. These are original photos! …as you can see, original owner had one blown up to bigger size… Big one measures about 7.5″ x 5.5″ while the smaller about 4″ x 2.75 inch. $2 DOMESTIC S/H… (or, Worldwide, International S/H $3.95).”

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1978 Article on Road Rebels Playday

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Old News Articles, Racing This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

An article in the June 22, 1978, issue of the Longview Daily News highlighted an upcoming Road Rebels jeep club payday. The reference to 199 trophies to be awarded reminded me of just how big of an event the Sunday evening trophy awards could be. They could last hours. People usually lumped together by clubs in one large group. Each name would be called. Imagine it takes one minute to hand out each trophy; in the case of this event you’d be looking at over three hours for 199 trophies.

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1953 Photo of American Relief for Poland Wagon on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This 7″x5″ photo shows a Jeep Station painted up for an American Relief of Poland campaign.

View all the information eBay

” US Shipping is $4 per photo/lot as listed. Photo shipped in archival plastic sleeve & in greeting card w/ stamp.”

1953-poland-relief-wagon

 
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Happy Thanksgiving

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Thanksgiving is a sign that 2020 is almost over …

Mark shared this photo of a CJ-2A and a successful turkey hunt. Per a website about Texas license plate history, the plate indicates this is a 1950 plate, meaning it is likely a 1950 photo. Unfortunately, the KT on the left side of the plate is not a county abbreviation or code.

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CJ-2 Fire Jeep Photos

• CATEGORIES: CJ-2A, Features, Fire/Police/Industry Vehicles, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This nice little nugget of Willys history has been posted since 2011, but somehow I missed it. The Kaiser Willys blog has three photos of a CJ-2 (not CJ-2A) Fire Jeep that includes the “JEEP” plate across the front of the windshield.

https://blog.kaiserwillys.com/the-postwar-willys-cj-2-fire-jeep

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1945 Photo of Rocket Launcher

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: The press photo at bottom was published in several newspapers, including the February 04, 1945, issue of the Knoxville News-Sentinel:

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Originally Posted May 14, 2016: 

“1945- Barrage rockets are readied for firing from an experimental rocket firing jeep at test range in Inyokern, California. Photos measure approx. 7″ x 9”.

1945-01-26-rocket-launch-jeep1 1945-01-26-rocket-launch-jeep2

 
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1942 Photo w/ Jane Wyman in a Jeep

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Actress Jane Wyman was captured in this photo while visiting Kirkland Field in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in May of 1942. The jeep driver doesn’t seem too unhappy to be escorting her.

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May 20, 1942, Visalia Times-Delta in Visalia, California.

 
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1952 Austin Champ Grand Rapids, MI $13,900

• CATEGORIES: Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Looks in good shape.

https://www.racingjunk.com/Austin/184065608/1952-Austin.html

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“This particular Champ starts, runs and drives extremely well with the working four forward and reverse gears which is pretty fun to drive. Another cool thing which makes it nice is the full syncromesh transmission unlike the Jeep counterparts. This would make a great parade or cottage vehicle

The Austin Champ was a Military and Civilian Jeep like vehicle made in the 1950’s. The Military versions were known by Truck, ¼ ton, CT, 4×4, Cargo, FFW and Mk1. After about 30 prototypes were built they decided on what you see here. Most of these vehicles went to the British Military hence the FFW stands for Fitted For Wireless or Remote radio communications.

These were also quite unique because of the indestructible Rolls Royce 4-Cylinder engines that were made for these. Another unique feature is the fact that these engines were basically water-proof. This technology also proved to be extremely expensive too complex and limited to just cross country travel which it was extremely capable of. In-fact, it cost way more than the Land Rovers that were being built for the same thing..”

 
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1950 Photo of Jeepster & Marino Pieretti on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

To speed up relief pitchers, a bright red Jeepster was employed to run pitchers from the bullpen to the infield. This picture appeared in at least one newspaper, the Times Dispatch out of Richmond Virginia, May 20, 1950 (but the scan of it is terrible, so no need to share it here).

View all the information on eBay

“1950 Press Photo Marino Pieretti climbs out of jeep for game in Cleveland. This is an original press photo. Cleveland. To hurry up ball games, the Cleveland Indians inaugurated jeep service last night for relief pitchers. Here’s Marino Pieretti climbing out of jeep after that long ride from the bull pen to the infield. He relieved Bob Feller on the mound at the start of the seventh inning against the Philadelphia Athletics and was the first to use the service. Baseball. Mario Pieretti. Photo measures 10 x 8.25inches. Photo is dated 05-18-1950.”

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The use of jeeps did NOT help the Indians defeat the A’s during their first game, as Cleveland dropped the game 7-5:

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May 18, 1950, The Tribune out of Scranton, PA

Not everyone was impressed with the new idea. A few days after the above photo was taken, one writer thought the jeep (or any vehicle) wasn’t going to speed up the game all that much.

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May 23, 1950, Arizona Republic.

 
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1942 Alaska Highway Report (and more) by Sigrid Arne

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

As I mentioned yesterday, Sigrid Arne (1894-1973) enjoyed a second big jeep adventure. This time it was a trip to Alaska, then a trip down part of the Alaska Highway while it was still under construction. As you’ll see below, there were a variety of photos that were included in newspapers related to her story about the highway.

Below the Alaska Highway articles are more information about Sigrid and other articles by her. Unfortunately, I can still not locate an obituary nor a biography related to her. So, I’m attaching these articles to this thread so that later I can draft a good wikipedia biography about her.

THE ALASKA HIGHWAY ARTICLE AND PHOTOS:

This first photo was published in the June 15, 1942, issue of the Decatur Journal. It shows Sigrid interviewing Pvt. Levi Schrock and and Prv. Albert Tomaino.

1942-06-15-decatur-herald-sigrid-arne-alaska-highway-lores

A day earlier, in June 14, 1942, the Knoxville Journal published Sigrid’s experience watching the military build a road through thickly wooded and boggy areas.

1942-06-14-knoxville-journal-sigrid-arne-alaska-highway-lores

The June 15, 1942, issue of the Spokesman Review featured this series of photos on its back page. It’s hard to believe that Melba Bergeron Mince was working with the military in that outfit (how did the mosquitos not attack all the exposed skin?

1942-06-15-spokesman-review-sigrid-arne-alaskay-highway-loresOTHER SIGRID ARNE STORIES:

A month prior to the above articles, Sigrid wrote about a woman who lived by herself in Alaska and remained unafraid of the Japanese Military:

Continue reading

 
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1954 Press Photo of Caged Jeep on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Here’s a second example of these press photos that includes a different caption. I could not locate an example published in a newspaper.

View all the information on ebay

“1954 Press Photo Sgt Curt Anderson of Sweden Army Does Stunts in Special Jeep. This is an original press photo. Sgt Curt Anderson shows students at a mechanics school how a specially-equipped jeep can be made to turn somersaults and still come out alright. Photo measures 7.25 x 9.25 inches. Photo is dated 07-07-1954.”

1954-07-07-curt-anderson-sweden-stunt-jeep-rollcage1 1954-07-07-curt-anderson-sweden-stunt-jeep-rollcage2

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Originally Published Aug. 5, 2015: “You are bidding on an original press photo of Swedish Army Sergeant Demonstrates Rolling Caged Jeep. Newspaper markings on photo. If listing shows thin red and/or green lines, they are the result of a bad scan & they are NOT on the actual photo. Photo measures 7 x 9 inches and is dated 7/9/1954.”

View all the information on eBay

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1941 Reporter Article on the Blitz Buggy

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, Old Images, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Associated Press Reporter Sigrid Arne was 47 years old when she rode in a Bantam BRC-60. By that time she was an experienced journalist, a fearless investigative reporter with the smarts to decode and explain New Deal programs to the point that the authors of the programs asked her to join their efforts. She traveled all over the United States, even buying a baby for $50 in Oklahoma at one point to expose how babies were being sold like groceries.

Her report on her first jeep ride sounds like she was thrilled/awed by her experience, but I’m unsure how she concluded that the Bantam had 9 speeds. Sigrid’s article landed in the Montana Standard on May 05, 1941, as well as other newspapers.

This ride wasn’t her last in a jeep, as we will see tomorrow morning.

1941-05-05-montana-standard-sigrid-arne-blitz-buggy-review-lores

 

 
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1941 Photos Related to the Ford GP

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, Old Images, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

1. Ford GPs on assembly line: This March 28, 1941, image shows Ford GPs on the assembly line. It is posted on a Henry Ford’s history page.
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2. Ford gets Priority over Bantam for axles: This January 22, 1941, article in the Indiana Gazette notes a claim by the President of the United Automobile Workers–CIO that Ford was given priority over Bantam on orders for axles, forcing Bantam to miss its deadline for filling their order for the BRC-60s.

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3. Duke of Kent: This photo shows the Duke of Kent riding in a Ford GP at Holabird, Maryland. The photo appeared in the Salem News (Ohio) on August 29, 1941:

1941-08-29-salem-news-duk-tries-out-fordgp-lores

 
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1941 Photo of “Blitz Buggy” During Testing

• CATEGORIES: Airborne Lightweight Jeeps, Features, Old Images, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

A March 25, 1941, set of photos in the Kansas City Star shows a Bantam BRC-60 flying high at one point, but then being dragged across a river by a horse at another point.

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Jeepster Pulls “Train” of Kids

• CATEGORIES: Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Sam shared this photo which he spotted on a Facebook Porsche page. It looks like this early Jeepster is pulling about 12(?) carts full of kids.

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March 1941 Photos of the Ford GP Tests

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, Old Images, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: The Herald-News of Passaic, NJ, published an image of a Ford GP going through its paces. Given the chained tires and other similarities, it appears this photo was likely taken at the same time as one published at the bottom of this post.

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Originally posted May 30, 2020, as part of this post: Here’s an article and a photo showing a couple Ford GPs being run hard, originally printed in the March 09, 1941, issue of the Battle Creek Enquirer:

1941-03-09-battle-creek-enquirer-fordgps-lores

Clipping from Battle Creek Enquirer - Newspapers.com

 
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1941 Article on Ford “Blitz Buggy” Production Strike

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, Old Images, Old News Articles This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

An April 12, 1941, article from the Escabana Daily Press out of California shows that it wasn’t always easy producing the Ford GPs. In this case striking works (and some reported sabotage of machinery) delayed manufacturing.

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Long article from the same paper: Continue reading

 
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1941 Photo of Edsel Ford in Ford GP Press Day

• CATEGORIES: Bantam-FordGP-WillysMA-EarlyJPs, Features, Old Images This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

These series of photos show Edsel Ford riding in a “Blitz Buggy”, which we now know as a Ford GP. Note that there’s no reference to the “Ford GP” in any text.

This photo appeared in several newspaper, including the April 11, 1941, issue of the Sikeston Standard out of Missouri.

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Originally published Nov 11, 2014: This photo includes Edsel Ford and was shot at the same event this video was taken.

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Originally published July 12, 2017: The original press photo that appeared in the newspaper at the bottom of this post.

“1941- Edsel Ford, in rear seat, and Brig. Gen. Charles Bonesteel go for a ride in the first Ford GP prototype jeep delivered to the U.S. Army after it rolled off the assembly line at the Ford River Rouge factory in Dearborn, Michigan. Photo measures approx. 7″ x 9″”

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Original posted 06/30/2016:
This photo and caption were published in the March 7, 1941, issue of the Owosso Argus Press. No article accompanied it.

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