Members of the first North Penn High School class (1956) coming down the steps at the Penn Street school.
The 1950s were without question one of the most transitional—and exciting—decades of the 20th century.
World War II was a not-too-distant memory and there was that nasty conflict in Korea, but America was turning the corner. The post-war economy soared, rationing was a thing of the past, and young couples married in droves. The result was obvious: the baby boomer era was here.
The Lansdale Historical Society will delve into those wonder years in the third part of its Decades series, The 1950’s: The Boomer Generation, on Thursday, Feb. 13, 7:30 p.m., at Lansdale Borough Hall, 1 Vine St.
Narrator Steve Moyer will take us through the time when Rock ‘n’ Roll was born, subdivision housing began eating up farmland, interstate highways were built at a maddening pace and we learned to “duck and cover” for fear an atomic bomb would hit us.
Television invaded our homes. Another war—this one against polio—was waged and won. Cars grew in length and sprouted tail fins. Cries for integration began in the South and spread north.
On the local scene, a new high school named North Penn came on the scene as the Baby Boomers inflated our school enrollments. Some of the pupils lived in Inglewood Manor, one of those inevitable housing developments. Drive-in movies flourished. The Montgomeryville Mart came on the scene. And who can forget Wibbage, Bandstand, Howdy Doody and Chief Halftown?
There is no admission charge to the show but donations to help fund the society’s many outreach programs are appreciated.
See also:
Lansdale Historical Society Presents ‘The 1980s: An Era Of Reagan And Rubik’s Cubes’
Lansdale Historical Society Series To Profile The Decades, Starting With The 1960s
Hatfield Historical Society To Display Aerial Photos Of Hatfield History
Lansdale Historical Society To Display High School Memorabilia
Lansdale Historical Society Seeks Donations After Computer System Hack
