Thursday, November 12, 1936

EDNA CLEANS - OAKLAND BAY BRDIGE OPENS

---

Nice Day.

Cleaned Dining Room.

---

While Edna was cleaning the dining room on this day in 1936, the Oakland Bay Bridge officially opened in California.

Perhaps she listened to the official radio broadcast while she worked.

As a long-time member of the Kent County Road Commission, Edna's husband Henry was invested in highway transportation. If Edna heard the story on the radio, it seems she would have made made some sort of note of it in her journal.

Maybe she didn't hear the broadcast. Maybe she just wasn't impressed.

You can listen to the story as it was broadcast that day here: https://www.baybridgeinfo.org/history Once on the page, scroll down a bit until. you see the audio link.

Wednesday, November 11, 1936

EDNA LISTENS TO INSPIRING PROGRAM ON ARMISTICE DAY

---

Beautiful Day.

Cleaned the living room.

Put all curtains, drapes +

rugs on line - nice breeze

to blow out dust.

This is Armistice Day.

Inspiring program to Honor

World War Veterans on Radio.

---

When Edna wrote this journal entry in 1936, Hitler was the chancellor of Germany but the second World War was still about three years away.

Armistice Day recognized the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918, which signaled the end of World War I. In 1954, Congress passed a bill signed by President Eisenhower proclaiming November 11 as Veterans Day, commemorating veterans of all wars.

Remembering with gratitude, the brave men, and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation.

Tuesday, November 10, 1936

The Cloak Room

---

Cleaned the Cloak Room

and Reception Hall.

Nice day.

---

Edna's daily life is filled with a lot of cleaning. Today, she is cleaning a cloak room and reception hall.

The Johnson family farm was located adjacent to one of four corners in Bowne Center. Across the street from the farm is the Methodist Church and the Ladies Aid Hall. Opposite the church is a one room school. On the corner next to the farm is a cemetery and, in 1936, the township hall which was later relocated near the church.

It's possible that Edna was cleaning at the township hall but she often references the Ladies Aid Society in her posts. I am betting that on this day, that is where Edna was working.

The term cloakroom feels very formal for a room in a public building in rural American in 1936. But according to the definition below, it is fitting. The Ladies Aid Hall did have a reception hall (which would likely qualify as an assembly hall).

cloak-room (n.) also cloakroom, 1827, "a room connected with an assembly-hall, opera-house, etc., where cloaks and other articles are temporarily deposited. Later extended to railway offices for temporary storage of luggage, and by mid-20c. sometimes a euphemism for "bathroom, lavatory."

Then and now, Cloakrooms are also locations where members of Congress of interact outside of formal meeting rooms.

I also discovered that theres is a gentleman's club named The Cloakroom in Washington D.C. Before realizing what it was, I clicked on a link taking me to their website.

OOPS!

I shut that tab on my browser down with lightning speed.

Edna would not approved of a gentleman's club but I bet she would have loved the opportunity to spend time with a member of congress in a Cloakroom.