Scrapbook #2 – Fresno’s Yesterdays

The next pages of the scrapbook are filled with random articles – I especially love the ones that take us back to years gone by.



Interesting to see that both Sig and his brother, Herb, attended the convention together.  The two had a falling out later in life and by the time this story ran in the paper, I’m quite sure they didn’t speak to each other.



I’m not sure that Sig ever lived in Oakland but this could be a clue.  He graduated from Fresno High School in March, 1906 and in 1907 was working for the Fresno Republican so this must have originally been somewhere in between there.  So if that’s the case, this article would have been from 1946-1947.

 

I wish I knew the date on this.  But I’m guessing it was in the late 1940’s to early 1950’s.  I knew Sig played tennis as he talked about it in the letters he wrote to my grandmother.  Plus, I have a few of his tennis rackets and even have this wonderful photo of him.

 

Times (and tennis clothes) sure have changed!



Once again, Sig was promoting Raisin Day!



Oh look at that – a memory of Sig visiting the James Jeffries training camp.  I wrote about that HERE.  The paragraph above is interesting – a walking stick made from an oak rafter which was in the log cabin where Mark Twain was born.  Which reminds me of my childhood friend, Mary, who was told that Mark Twain was her 6th cousin.  And since Mary and I were blood sisters (remember doing that?), that would make Mark Twain my 6th blood cousin.



More tennis events!



Looks like Sig was the editor of the Fresno High School Owl in 1906. 



I’m not exactly sure what an “advertising cut” is but this might need some further research.  A copyright?  And who was E.A. Berg?



And a few miscellaneous articles.



Sig didn’t limit himself to just Fresno – he promoted Madera, as well.  And he had something to do with the first delivery of air mail in the nation between Fresno and Madera in 1912.

He even wrote to the Editor of the Madera Daily News in 1949.  That’s one way to get your name in the newspaper!

Scrapbook #2 – Sig is a busy guy

January 12, 1952

Yep, that’s my paternal grandfather, Sig Levy.  As I continue to go through his scrapbooks, I’m reminded that he was a busy guy.  It seems like he was involved in just about everything – now I know where my dad got it!

Not just involved in everything, but he saved EVERYTHING!  Sometimes I can figure out why but others, not so much.

Case in point is this article.



I can understand why he saved it since he was one of those who became ill, but WHY did the newspaper feel compelled to put that news in the newspaper?

Sig was the Publicity Chairman for this patriotic event.




And then the newspaper used a similar sketching for a different article showing he was the co-chairman of the Parade Committee.




An interesting article in the Los Angeles Herald Express.  Nice to know Sig was helping to get our veterans back to work.



He seemed to have a real interest in nursing programs, although I’m not sure why, as there were several articles about that.  I thought this photo was interesting.



I started looking for more information about the new wing so that I could compare it to today and had to stop – must. not. go. down. another. rabbit. hole.

Scrapbook #2 - More news from Sig

As I continue on with the scrapbook, it hit me that I don’t think I’ll have enough hours in the day, or days in the week, or weeks in the year, to adequately document these scrapbooks.  While there is a lot of interesting information, it just can’t be done.  So I’ll quit stressing about it and just document things that pertain to Sig and are the most interesting, not to mention the easiest to scan.

I wish this had a date on it but based on other things on this page, I’d guess it to be from somewhere in the 1944-1946 range.



One thing that I’ve learned about my grandfather is that he was involved in A LOT of things.  This article is from October 13, 1946.



I learned a little about Victor Mature.



Of course I had to meet with my best friend Google to learn a little more about him.  While I don’t remember him specifically, I did learn that he starred in about 50 movies from 1939 until the early 1970’s.  I wonder if my grandparents, or my parents, ever went to the theater to check him out.



Sig was a planner for Flag Week.  How patriotic he must have felt to see a flag in front of every home and business in Fresno.



Let’s not skip by this article highlighting the advertiser in the news for February, 1947 – Sig Levy!



It doesn’t look like Sig was “counted” as a veteran.  I’m not sure why since he served during WWI.

I knew I’d seen something about the train wreck when I blogged HERE.  Something tells me I’m going to find out more about this event.

Last year I wrote about Sig and Loraine cruising to Hawaii HERE.  How fun to see the same photo was published in the newspaper and Sig included it in his scrapbook.  Sure enough, it was from their cruise in 1949.



Here we see the class of 1920, both 2nd and 3rd, to have a Levy brother included – Sig in the 2nd class, older brother Herb in the 3rd class.  And there’s Leon in the class of 1922. 

I’m sure this was important but I just don’t know what it all means.



Last, but not least, was this from the America Red Cross Arsenal in 1944.  What makes it special is that the son they refer to was my dad, Gordon Levy. 



While it’s completely overwhelming to think about capturing all of this, I do appreciate that my grandparents saved everything and have given me the opportunity to get a glimpse into their lives.