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The 1940's- The World at War and Prosperity Following
The 1940's were dominated by World War II. War production pulled us out of the Great Depression. Women were needed to replace men who had gone off to war, and so the first great exodus of women from the home to the workplace began. Rationing affected the food we ate, the clothes we wore, and the toys with which children played.
There were scrap drives for steel, tin, paper and rubber. These were a source of supplies and gave people a means of supporting the war effort. Automobile production, as well as production of toys and any other product made of metal, ceased in 1942. Structo converted to war time production efforts, including making ammunition shell casings, as well as armor and storage tanks for military use.
Rationing of food supplies began in 1943. Victory gardens were re-instituted and supplied 40% of the vegetables consumed on the home front. In April, 1945, FDR died, and President Harry Truman celebrated V-E Day on May 8, 1945. Japan surrendered only after two atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Structo came out of the War with new momentum, capitalizing on the prosperity that swept the U.S. in the years following. In 1948, they constructed and began production in a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing and shipping facility on the east edge of Freeport- boasting over one mile of overhead conveyer chain.
There were scrap drives for steel, tin, paper and rubber. These were a source of supplies and gave people a means of supporting the war effort. Automobile production, as well as production of toys and any other product made of metal, ceased in 1942. Structo converted to war time production efforts, including making ammunition shell casings, as well as armor and storage tanks for military use.
Rationing of food supplies began in 1943. Victory gardens were re-instituted and supplied 40% of the vegetables consumed on the home front. In April, 1945, FDR died, and President Harry Truman celebrated V-E Day on May 8, 1945. Japan surrendered only after two atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Structo came out of the War with new momentum, capitalizing on the prosperity that swept the U.S. in the years following. In 1948, they constructed and began production in a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing and shipping facility on the east edge of Freeport- boasting over one mile of overhead conveyer chain.
Watch this page in the near future for more rare Structo dealer catalog images, including 1941 and 1942 when production ceased for war time conversion.