This Was Doylestown, 1946

Thousands attend ground-breaking ceremony for War Memorial Field -

Turning over the first spadeful of earth with a long, silver-colored shovel, Doylestown Burgess [Mayor] George C. Butler presided at the ground-breaking ceremony Thursday for the $50,000 Second World War Memorial Athletic and Recreational Field, climaxing a Fourth of July program.

Several thousand mothers and fathers, Second World War veterans, their wives and children, First World War veterans and families assembled on the 14-acre memorial tract, bathed in perfectly radiant sunshine and whipped by a cool breeze, to attend the ground-breaking ceremony, which was dignified and restrained.

Surrounded by a bevy of youngsters, Burgess Butler turned over the first shovelful of ground practically in the center of the football field.

In a dedicatory talk, Burgess Butler said: "We are here to dedicate this site upon which will be erected a 'living memorial' in honor of those who served in World War II. This has been made possible through the generous response of the citizens and friends of Doylestown and Doylestown Township.

"It is with humble spirits and grateful hearts that we acknowledge to these young veterans a debt of love and gratitude that can never be paid in full. This memorial will be dedicated primarily for the healthful and wholesome recreation of Second World War veterans, their families and children. It will, of course, be open to the general public, to be used and enjoyed by all.

"And now, it seems fitting that we pause, that our first thoughts be for those who gave all and for their families and loved ones. Let us face toward the West and take off our hats and bow our heads in silence for one minute out of respect and reverence for their noble sacrifice," said Burgess Butler, a veteran of the Spanish-American War and World War I.

Before the ceremony, the parade formed at the Court House at 10 o'clock and proceeded on West Court street to Lafayette street, and from there to the field.

In the parade were the Doylestown High School Band, band majorettes in their gold and white uniforms; members of the War Memorial and Recreation Commission, Borough Council members, Boy and Girl Scouts, service clubs, veterans of the Doylestown posts of the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion, Doylestown Fire Company. Dublin and Point Pleasant fire companies, and citizen marchers.

Snappiest and most military in their bearing were veterans of the Doylestown Detachment of the Marine Corps League, carrying their own and the state colors. They added color, precision and traditional pride to the event.

Editor's note - When Central Bucks High School opened in 1952, War Memorial Field became its stadium. The school, now Central Bucks West, continues to use the field for football, track and other sports under a long-term lease with the borough.

Chamber of Commerce seeks to restore former train schedule -

Paul W. Histand, chairman of the traffic committee of the Doylestown Chamber of Commerce, stated Saturday his committee will make every effort possible to have the former schedule of Reading Railway trains between Doylestown and Philadelphia restored.

The new schedule, effective July 1, eliminated the train leaving Doylestown at 5:35 p.m. This means that persons who work in Doylestown and live between here and Philadelphia, must quit work in time to catch the 4:22 p.m. train from Doylestown or wait until the 6:45 p.m. train, too late for supper or anything else.

If you live in Doylestown and work or shop in the city, it takes 20 minutes longer to get home on the 4:25 p.m. train from the Reading Terminal because you now must change cars at Lansdale.

"It is a 'right to the chin' that the Reading has handed Doylestown, and that without the slightest warning to us," Mr. Histand declared. "If allowed to stand as now in place, it will mean that those persons working here or who operate their businesses here and live at some other point along the Reading, especially between here and Lansdale, sooner or later will have to find jobs or locations elsewhere."

"Our business houses and offices do not want to be compelled to seek new employees because those they now employ are forced to make a change to some place with reasonable transportation or else idle away an hour-and-a-half before they can start for home and supper," he said.

The traffic committee is asking all residents of Doylestown and vicinity, whether directly affected by the change of train schedule or not, to notify the committee or the secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, Robert W. Robinson, that they are willing to sign a petition to the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission asking for the restoration of the former train service or a schedule comparable to it.

School tax collection totals $53,000 -

At the Doylestown School Board's meeting Monday night, President William H. Satterthwaite complimented Tax Collector Robert W. Robinson for the superior performance he has given in collecting real estate and per capita taxes. The exoneration list, numbering 113, is the smallest in decades.

Making his final report to the school directors, Tax Collector Robinson stated that the real estate tax to be collected amounted to $44,410.74, and the per capita tax amounted to $8,415, for a total of $52,825.74. He has collected the entire amount of real estate tax, with the exception of $80.49, which has been entered against real estate in the office of the County Treasurer.

Efforts will be made to clear up the delinquent list of 105 who still owe their per capita tax. President Satterthwaite authorized Mr. Robinson to attach the wages of some of the delinquents. Some of the leading businesses and manufacturers in the County Seat will be notified that their employees are among the delinquents.

Tax Collector Robinson made it clear to the school directors that he will persist in making collections from the delinquent list during the rest of the year until the per capita tax is practically cleaned up.

The school board, after discussing each case individually, decided to exonerate 113 men and women. The tax collector listed them as follows: Moved away, 52; in the service, 8; unable to pay, 19; deceased, 18; double assessed (moving from one ward to another), 11; on relief, 2; paid elsewhere, 2; and on pension, 1.

Tax Collector Robinson turned over the sum of $102, which he collected during the past year from "pick-ups," persons not on the books. The amount of $54, which represents 1944-45 delinquencies, was also turned over.

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Two men killed in plane crash at Doylestown Airport -

Two Doylestownians were killed when a privately owned reconditioned Canadian Army training plane crashed at the Doylestown Airport a few minutes before 8 o'clock on Saturday night. It was the first fatal accident at the local airport.

Karl Fisher, 52, a member of the Philadelphia accounting firm of Lybrand, Ross Brothers & Montgomery, who has been living at the , was instantly killed as the pilot of his own stunt biplane.

A passenger, William B. Schumacher, 34, of North Main street, an executive in the sales department of Bucks County Frozen Products, Inc., died a short time after being admitted to the Abington Memorial Hospital, where he had been taken in the O.P. James Memorial Ambulance.

A pilot of eight years' experience, Fisher had been a civilian flight instructor for the Army Air Forces in Mississippi in World War II, and had also been a member of the Civil Air Patrol. He recently purchased a Fleet biplane and and brought it to the local airport for his own pleasure.

Fisher and Schumacher came to the airport early Saturday afternoon intending to fly to a nearby air show, but because of threatening weather they decided not to go. After dinner, they returned to the airport for a short flight in the evening.

After approximately 30 minutes in the air, most of the time over the airport and vicinity, Fisher headed in a for a landing. Several times he buzzed the field with his lightly constructed plane, descending to about about 50 feet, when he would kick the plane over and into a steep climb.

The last time he tried the stunt, the plane went into a nose-dive and crashed as some fifty persons stood looking on about a hundred yards away from the new hangar. Both men were pinned in the twisted wreckage. It was with considerable difficulty that Schumacher was removed from the plane by the airport's ground crew and placed in a waiting ambulance.

Fisher is survived by his wife, Ruth, of Beverly, N.J., and a grandson. Schumacher is survived by his wife, Edna, and four children, ages 2 to 7.

Burpee Playground to open two evenings a week -

The Blanche Burpee Playground [at East Oakland Avenue and Church Street] will open for the Summer season on Saturday afternoon at 2 o'clock.

Inaugurating a new policy, Allen P. George, Doylestown High School faculty member and also a member of the Youth Recreational Council, announced the playground will be open two evenings a week. Miss Doris Jane Hobensack, a senior at Ursinus College, will serve as the instructor at the playground.

The schedule is as follows: Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 until 12 o'clock in the morning and from 1 until 5 o'clock in the afternoon; Tuesday and Thursday from 1 until 5 o'clock in the afternoon and from 6:30 until 8:30 in the evening.

It is the twice-a-week evening set-up that both Miss Hobensack and Mr. George feel will prove the "drawing card" for this Summer's attendance and interest on the part of County Seat youngsters who will attend the playground and take part in the various activities.

This Summer is the fist time that the trustees of the Burpee playground decided to turn over the program to the Youth Recreational Council. The council chose Mr. George as co-ordinator and Miss Hobensack to plan and carry out the projects, schedule games and other recreational features intended to keep the boys and girls out of mischief and off the streets of the town.

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Doylestown Town Notes -

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph R. Kenny attended the game between the Red Sox and the [Philadelphia] A's on the Fourth of July.

Miss M. Elizabeth Berger is taking a tour of the western part of the United States this month.

Ronald McGhie, two-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. William McGhie, of West Ashland street, is undergoing treatment in the Abington Hospital.

The Doylestown Junior American Legion baseball team held the undefeated Newtown Junior League team to a 5-5 tie Wednesday night at Community Field, in a great pitcher's battle.

Mr. and Mrs. J.B. Harry left Doylestown on Friday for a trip through New York state.

William A. Spare and John Moore, both of Doylestown, attended a performance in a Philadelphia playhouse Wednesday evening.

Mrs. Harry Corsner, Sr., of Harvey avenue, who underwent observation in the Abington Hospital for two-and-a-half weeks, has returned to her home.

Deputy Prothonotary and Mrs. Ira C. Shaw are spending a vacation of two weeks in Maine.

Mrs. Clifford Beck, who has been collecting elephant figurines as a hobby for five years, has corralled 218 and keeps a record of the place, date and from whom or where she obtained them. Some of her choice collector's items come from Belgium and Ceylon.

Mr. and Mrs. Monroe Paulzer are visiting Mrs. Paulzer's brother and sister-in-law, Mrs. and Mrs. George Zimmerman, of Baltimore, Md.

Chief Jay F. Richer, at a meeting of the on Wednesday evening, reported four fires during June.

From the Doylestown Daily Intelligencer, Week of July 1-7, 1946