Listening to the news these days can be alarming, especially when Russia’s leader talks about the potential use of nuclear weapons while he moves to take over Ukraine. Of course, history teaches us that it often repeats itself, and those of a certain age are reminded of this same feeling of heightened tension in the early 60’s with the “Berlin Crisis” and the “Bay of Pigs ” crisis.
As early as 1951, the Cold War led the U.S. government through speeches and magazine articles by President Kennedy, as well as Civil Defense pamphlets, to prepare for the possibility of nuclear war. Promises of public fall-out shelters were made and citizens were encouraged to construct and supply their own fall-out shelters.
Some companies seized on the idea and marketed bomb shelter kits. Lists were published with the items that should be placed in these shelters. Canned food, extra clothes, flashlights and batteries, games and toys were some of the suggested supplies. The Civil Defense recommended dosimeters to measure radioactivity and one quart of water per person per day. (This is sounding like the grandfather of the “Prepper Movement”- that old history repeating itself again). People began to realize that they might have to stay in the shelters, living off the grid, for weeks and would need tools and even more supplies.
Children weren’t exempt from these preparations with schools “duck and cover” drills. How many of you questioned if your school desk would really protect you from a bomb? In Weymouth, they picked a day when all students had to walk home. I guess they didn’t think the bus drivers would be around during an attack and they wanted to make sure that we could all find our way home. It doesn’t make sense to me now and it didn’t then.
I have to say I didn’t know anyone who had a fall-out shelter or had any friends who were the proud owners of the dollhouse offered by the Marx Toy Company in 1962. It was a metal dollhouse that included a bomb shelter complete with supplies pictured along the wall.
By 1963, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was passed, and countries began a de-escalation that ended the Cold War. The threat of a nuclear disaster along with talk of bomb shelters waned. However, I finally did get to see fall-out shelter and it was in Rochester. When Tom Strutski was remodeling the former Dempsey’s aka Plumb aka Bonney House, he gave us a tour of the bomb shelter in the basement.
The shelter had bunk beds, a table, shelving, an escape hatch to a tunnel, an exit to the yard and a hand crank ventilator shown in the picture. It helped to move the air around within the shelter.
The basement is still there but without the trappings of a bomb shelter. I wonder if the Plumb Memorial Vault with the 1976- time capsule inside could be down there somewhere.
By Connie Eshbach