In Washington, DC, on Wednesday, June 30, 1937, Dale took Helen, Stanley, and Jettie (visiting from Osceola) to a Boy Scout Jamboree on the Washington Monument grounds at night. This was the very first national jamboree, covered extensively by national media and attended by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
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In Minneapolis on Sunday, June 29, 1958, Dale wrote, “High 95°. Took Dalene and Diana swimming at Twin Lakes. Stan came home at 6:45 p.m. from a week-end at a lake.” Diana was a neighbor friend. I think ‘Twin Lakes’ meant Moore Lake Park in Fridley, about 3¼ miles north of home. The park had a beach with a swimming area roped off, seen below. 
In Muscatine on Sunday, June 28, 1953, Dale wrote, “Up late and took it easy today. Roast beef dinner. Not too hot today. Stan, Mike, and Dalene went to swim but too crowded. Stan went on a date at night with Esther Frost.” Mike was my high school buddy, Mike Collier. Esther was a classmate I dated frequently (Mike dated her too).
After work in Washington, DC, on Saturday, June 27, 1936, Helen and Dale saw a Democrat rally parade go by the Veterans Administration Building. Later, they went to the Fox Theatre and saw tenor Don Novis perform in person. You can hear Donald Novis sing here: On Saturday, June 26, 1937, returning to Washington from vacation in Osceola, Dale wrote, “Left Cambridge, Ohio, at 9 a.m. and got home at midnight. Glad to be home. Cool here in Washington D.C.” That day would have been about 350 miles with Helen, Stanley, and Jettie in the 1930 Ford Model A (see yesterday’s blog). No air conditioning, folks.
On Friday, June 25, 1937, returning to Washington, DC, from vacation in Osceola, Dale wrote, “Got up early and drove 518 miles from Peoria to Cambridge, Ohio, and stayed at a cabin camp. Had the car checked over. Wrist-pins loose.” With him were Helen and Stanley and Dale’s mother, Jettie. That car was their 1930 Ford Model A, like the one below. 
On Friday, June 24, 1949, the first television western, Hopalong Cassidy, aired on NBC. The lead character was played by silver-haired actor William Boyd. Come back to the early days with us now and watch vignettes of Hopalong, Gene Autry, and Roy Rogers in this tribute performed by Roy Rogers: Vacationing with his family in Osceola from Muscatine on Thursday, June 23, 1955, Dale wrote, “Stan and I helped Lloyd put the corn planter and cultivator away in the morning. We took a long ride in the afternoon to Weldon and Woodburn and Ottawa. Mother had a party at night, 33 relatives were at the party.” Lloyd was Dale’s brother, ‘Mother’ was Jettie. Below: a map showing Weldon, Woodburn, and Ottawa (marker) in relation to Osceola. 
On Saturday, June 22, 1940, the first Dairy Queen store (below) opened in Joliet, Illinois. The soft serve formula was first developed in 1938 by Paul Conversano and his son Alex McCullough. They convinced friend and customer Herb Noble to offer the product in his ice cream store in Kankakee. On the first day of sales, Noble dished out more than 1,600 servings of the new dessert within two hours. That success led Noble and the McCullough’s to open this store and begin the DQ franchise system, which is now owned by Warren Buffet’s company, Berkshire Hathaway. 
In Muscatine on Saturday, June 21, 1952, Dale and Helen stayed up late at night watching a Bob Hope and Bing Crosby telethon on television, raising money for the U.S. Olympic team. Below: the award signed by the hosts to Hoagy Carmichael, one of many entertainers who appeared on the telethon. 
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