Thelma and Lowell's Diary: June 3, 1943

They reach Dunkirk, Ohio; racial controversy shuts down Packard plant

Thelma and Lowell’s train passed through Chicago around lunch time and arrived at their destination, Dunkirk, Ohio, at 4:28 p.m. Family members in the tiny village met them at the station, and Thelma went to eat and stay with her parents while Lowell went with his folks. Lowell’s sister, Donabell, had just gotten home from college. “It was sure swell to get home,” Lowell wrote.

This picture of a Queen Anne house in Dunkirk, which was undoubtably there in 1943, is from Wikimedia Commons. I seriously doubt it sported the color scheme we see, though!

In Detroit, white auto workers walked off the job at the Packard Motor Car Company plant, causing it to cease production. To read on, you'll need to be a paid subscriber. You can upgrade by clicking below. For just $5 a month, you get the full Thelma and Lowell’s Diary experience!