The Great Depression touched every city in America, and Kirkland was no exception. Early on, an editorial in the 7/17/30 edition of the Journal tried to convince people that things weren't so bad:

Try as they might to paint a rosy picture, the depression WAS real, and it would have lasting effects for years to come.

• RELIEF PROBLEM BECOMES ACUTE AS DEMANDS GROW - 2/11/32
• EASTSIDE MAPPED INTO DISTRICTS FOR RELIEF - 6/30/32
• UNEMPLOYED WILL GO ON COUNTY PAYROLL FOR PART TIME WORK - 7/28/32
• LARGE FLOUR SHIPMENT HERE FOR UNEMPLOYED - 12/22/32

The end of prohibition provided some celebration for most people in Kirkland, but not for Kirkland's Mayor, the Rev. Charles A. Newberry. Rev. Newberry, the pastor of the Congregational Church, had been elected mayor in 1928, and served the city well. A man of conviction, he felt he could not act as mayor for a town that served alcohol:

• WELCOME MAT LAID DOWN FOR BEER AS WOLF IS CHASED FROM DOORSTEP - 3/16/33
• REDMOND ISSUES BLAU FIRST BEER LICENSE; KIRKLAND STILL DRY - 3/23/33
• KIRKLAND TUMBLES FROM WATER-WAGON; GETS 3.2 BEER APRIL 7TH - 3/30/33
• OLD ORDINANCE BARS SELLING OF BEER, IS CITY DADS' OPINION - 4/6/33
• KIRKLAND AWAITS BEER DISCUSSION DUE AT COUNCIL MEETING MONDAY - 4/13/33
• 3.2 BEER ORDINANCE CAUSES MAYOR NEWBERRY'S RESIGNATION - 4/20/33
• KIRKLAND LOSES TRUE LEADER (NEWBERRY, REV C E) - 4/20/33

Without Mayor Newberry, but with a new administration in the White House, Kirkland continued slogging through the Depression with the rest of the country:

• LOCAL WELFARE OFFICE SIGNS UP RECRUITS FOR REFORESTATION ARMY - 4/27/33
• ROOSEVELT TO AID SMALL HOME OWNERS - 4/27/33
• UNEMPLOYED DOING MUCH CONSTRUCTIVE WORK FOR KIRKLAND - 5/11/33
• EASTSIDE SUPPORTS PRESIDENT'S NATIONAL RECOVERY PROGRAM - 8/3/33
• KIRKLAND FIRST TOWN IN THE UNITED STATES 100% BLUE EAGLE - 8/3/33
• FIRST PUBLIC WORKS JOBS STARTED ON THIS SIDE OF LAKE - 9/21/33
• WOMEN NOW ON FEDERAL PAYROLLS OPERATING CWS SEWING ROOMS - 1/25/34
• PROJECTS DORMANT, CREWS IDLE AS MEN AWAIT NEW PROGRAM - 4/5/34

Not that Kirkland wasn't doing it's own part - local farms and businesses tried hard to stay afloat. The woolen mill had reopened just before the crash, under the ownership of Reese Brown. It operated for a few years but not very well. Brown, who died in 1934, appears to have problems of his own:

• REESE BROWN FACES TWO FEDERAL CHARGES - 11/5/31
• REESE B BROWN SUED FOR $25000 ATTORNEY'S FEES - 6/29/33
• REESE BROWN WILL BUILD $100,000 PALATIAL HOME - 7/20/33
• REESE BROWN DEATH REVIVES QUESTION OF MISSING WIDOW - 2/1/34
• MAY TEAR DOWN MILL BLD'G - 4/18/35
• FLAMES SPELL FINAL FATE OF WOOLEN MILL; LOSS SET AT $5000 - 5/23/35

The Lake Washington Shipyards, on the other hand, was able to provide some jobs throughout the decade:

• LOCAL SHIPYARD TO START WORK ON BIG JOB JANUARY FIRST - 12/17/31
• PROSPERITY APPEARS AS LOCAL SHIPYARDS RESUME OPERATION - 4/13/33
• SHIPYARD WEEKLY PAYROLL $3000; AWARDED CONTRACT ON GOV'T SHIP - 1/18/34
• PROSPECTS FOR 1935 LOOM BRIGHTER FOR LOCAL SHIPBUILDERS - 12/27/34
• KALAKALA MEANS BIG PAYROLL HERE - 7/4/35
• $225,000 ARMY VESSEL LAUNCHED AT LAKE WASHINGTON SHIPYARDS - 7/30/36
• LAKE WASHINGTON SHIPYARDS TIES FOR LOW BID ON BIG JOB - 10/13/38
• SHIPYARDS GOING FULL BLAST ON NEW MILLION DOLLAR BOAT ("EXPLORER") - 4/13/39

Farming had been a staple of Kirkland life since the beginning and the economic hardships of the 1930's caused many homeowners to become self-sustaining:

• CLARK TO TELL SERVICE CLUB ABOUT EAST SIDE GRAPE INDUSTRY - 8/6/31
• EASTSIDER DEMONSTRATES WHAT CAN BE DONE WITH A TWO ACRE TRACT - 5/12/32
• HOUSEWIVES URGED TO BUY BERRY CROPS - 7/14/32
• UNEMPLOYED ADVISED TO START PLANTING GARDENS - 4/5/34
• ED OBAN PURCHASES WHITE CLOUD FARM; LIKES EASTSIDE - 6/21/34
• EASTSIDE MILK PRICES REMAIN CENT LOWER THAN SEATTLE - 10/4/34
• FOXES ESCAPE FROM UNION HILL FARM TAME, DON'T SHOOT! - 7/18/35
• (ad) TRADE - USED FURNITURE, TOOLS FOR CHICKENS - 9/12/35
• EASTSIDE DISTRICT IDEAL FOR BLUEBERRY GROWER (PHOTOS) - 7/22/37
• POULTRYMEN GREAT ASSET TO EAST SIDE, LAWSON SAYS - 9/14/39

Although farms and industry were of some help to Kirkland residents, the Depression lingered on:

• RELIEF ALLOTMENT IS SLASHED BY GOV'T - PROGRAM DELAYED - 5/3/34
• RAGS REQUEST ISSUED BY EASTSIDE WPA SEWING PROJECT - 11/28/35
• CANNING CENTER PLANNED FOR KIRKLAND THRU AID OF WPA - 1/30/36
• DRAMA CLASSES TO BE SPONSORED BY WORKS PROGRESS - 3/12/36
• WPA SPENDS HUGE PAYROLL IN KIRKLAND - 6/18/36
• WELFARE DEPT SETS UP LOCAL RELIEF COUNCIL - 10/1/36

As Kirkland moved through the depression, her residents did their best to survive. Still, there were moments of levity, along with odd little stories within the East Side Journal:

• KIRKLAND TO HAVE NEW TOM THUMB GOLF COURSE; READY IN TWO WEEKS - 8/28/30
• MRS MARY GOFF, 83, RIDES IN AIRPLANE - 10/16/30
• FALLING METEORITE CRASHES THROUGH THE ROOF OF S N JOHNSTON HOME HERE - 4/16/31
• ELEPHANTS WILL WALK KIRKLAND STREETS FIRST TIME AS CIRCUS COMES - 5/14/31
• ATTRACTIONS GALORE NOW GREET PATRONS OF IMPROVED JUANITA PARK - 6/25/31
• WHIPPING POST WILL NOT STOP CRIME SAYS DR MCKIBBEN TO SERVICE CLUB - 6/16/32
• GATEWAY IS BOOKED 5 WEEKS IN ADVANCE FOR AMATEUR SHOWS - 6/23/32
• THOUSANDS JAM JUANITA BEACHES TO WITNESS INDIAN POW-WOW - 6/1/33
• ROBOT HEN LAYS FIFTEEN EGGS A MINUTE IN DISPLAY - 12/7/33
• PING PONG CRAZE TAKES TAVERN; REPLACES CHESS - 12/21/33
• 'IMMORTAL' BROTHER ISAIAH PASSES; ONCE THRILLED 1000'S ON EASTSIDE - 7/27/34
• DATE IS SET FOR PRESENTATION OF CITY'S FIRST OPERA - 2/14/35
• REINDEER MEAT NOW ON SALE AT ROY'S MARKET - 3/14/35
• FAMOUS STEIN SONG COMPOSER VISITING KIRKLAND (SPRAGUE, ADELBERT) - 8/8/35
• BEAR RECOVERS KIRKLANDITE'S SUITCASE (KAY, THEO) - 9/26/35
• (ad) SEND FOR THIS GIFT! DIONNE 'QUINTS' BIRTHDAY BOWL ($.10) - 10/3/35
• BIRD CENSUS REVEALS MANY WINGED FRIENDS ON EASTSIDE - 12/26/35
• UNIQUE 'INAPPROPRIATE' PARTY HELD AT I W GATES HOME (PHOTO) - 1/23/36
• HOT DOG, 12 INCHES LONG, FEATURED AT COZY CAFE - 12/3/36
• (ad) "THE BRIDE WAKES UP" (FILM FOR COOKING EDUCATION) - 4/22/37
• BILLY BARTY, COMEDY STAR, TO APPEAR AT GATEWAY IN PERSON - 9/2/37
• MORE THAN 3000 PEOPLE CROWD STREETS TO WATCH KIDS PARADE - 12/16/37
• A FREAK - TWO-HEADED CALF IS BORN AT KIRKLAND GARDENS - 11/17/38

It finally took a world war to shake off the depression. Unfortunately, there are few remaining East Side Journal records of the transitional period between the Great Depression and WWII. After Dec. 7, 1941, local folk soon got caught up in bond rallies and paper drives. In the ensuing fervor, practically all issues from 1939 and 1940 were donated and recycled to help save the world.

WWII - The Big One

Home | What's New | History of Kirkland | Search The Index | History Links

© 1998 - Alan J Stein