Thanksgiving on Nov. 30?

“Roosevelt listened to this plea [from the head of Federated Stores to move the Turkey Day forward one week, to give merchants another week to tempt their customers], and at a Press Conference held August 14th, he said that ‘I have been hearing from a great many people for the last six years, complaints that Thanksgiving came too close to Christmas’. After Lazarus, the President had also heard from the National Retail Dry Goods Association, as well as executives of Gimbels and Lord & Taylor. Roosevelt reminded the press that Thanksgiving was still not an official holiday, and that each year the President picked the date. And, since these experts believed that adding another week to the shopping season would increase sales by 10%, Franklin announced, this year, at least, he was moving Thanksgiving to Thursday, November 23rd.

Image and excerpt from http://thepublici.blogspot.com/2010_11_14_archive.html . Learn more about the arguments for and against the date change at the link.

Wilshire at Doheny

Image: circa 1939 photo from L.A. Public Library Image Archive via http://waterandpower.org/museum/Early_City_Views%20(1925%20+)_6_of_8.html .

“Birds-eye view of Beverly Hills looking northwest from the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and Doheny Drive.  Beverly Hills City Hall can be seen in the distance.”

Excerpt from link above.

Red Sails Inn

Image: 1939 postcard from link below.

Here’s a story of luck during the Great Depression that worked out well:

“Joseph Yjidy Viery (1886-1952) came to America from the Azores Islands off Portugal. To this self-described ‘peasant lad’ in 1908, the United States seemed like a ‘fantastic dream.’ He met and married Emily Dina Pereira, had three boys, and found employment in banking. Fluently speaking Spanish and Portuguese helped in his twenty-year career in Alameda County, California. But somehow, he lost everything, home, savings. In 1935 he found himself on the San Diego waterfront with $4 to his name.

“’I was trying to get a job on a tuna boat, but I didn’t get it,’ Viery recalled.

“’I couldn’t spend much for food, so I went into a hamburger stand down there on the waterfront. I guess it was fate that sent me there. Just as it was fate that brought me to San Diego.’

The fleet had come in that day and the Portuguese man running the place couldn’t keep up. His partner had walked out on him. Viery offered his services, and that day in 1935 they brought in $80! He had a job. In a few days the owner asked if Viery wanted to be his partner in the business.

“’But I only have $4,’ replied Viery.

“’That’s all right. You give me your IOU for $290, and the place is yours!’

“They had sailor witness the document. He borrowed $6 so he’d have enough change for the next day’s business. His hamburger place made money and he saved. One thing led to another and Joe, his wife and son opened up The Red Sails Inn at the foot of G Street on Fisherman’s Wharf.”

Excerpt and images from http://classicsandiego.com/restaurants/red-sails-inn/ .

7-Up in Bakersfield

Image: Circa 1940 photo of 7-Up Bottling Company 18th and Sonora Street, Bakersfield. Photo source unknown.

“Like an artist, who first sees the picture in his mind’s eye and transfers it to the canvas, D W Washburn envisioned this bottling plant in Bakersfield as one most completely equipped, for the purpose of bottling only one beverage. Months of thought and preparatory work went into the planning. The plant was formally opened to the public June 14, 1939.

“The 7-UP extract Is manufactured by the Seven-Up Company of St Louis, Mo. Lemons and limes of the finest quality are used in its preparation. In all instances government supervision safeguards its purity and aromatic content.

“Pure cane sugar is used exclusively and, the Braun Corporation, a California industry, furnishes the citric acid required.”

Excerpts of December 23, 1939 Bakersfield Californian newspaper story from https://clickamericana.com/topics/food-drink/the-story-of-7-up-1939 .

Image: 1939 newspaper ad from excerpt link above.

Online references show The Braun Corporation of 363-371 New High Street, Los Angeles, in the ‘teens and ‘twenties as a supplier of mining assay chemicals and equipment. It may have branched out to other chemicals such as citric acid by 1939 but it cannot be confirmed at this time.