Today in '45: No More Jeeps from Ford Plant, It's Back to Trucks

The front page of the weekly El Cerrito Journal for today, July 19, in 1945 reflects a 28-year-old city carrying on civic life as the nation begins to hope that World War II might soon be over. Here are some of the actual headlines from the paper's front page, followed by our brief summaries of the articles:

Local Ford Plant Announces
Plans to Reconvert Aug. 1

With its wartime jeep contract ending July 26, the Ford plant announced it will convert back to producing trucks. The plant, which ceased truck production on March 24, 1942, will have produced 29,361 jeeps when the last one rolls off the assembly line on July 26.

Company officials hope to produce 1,000 trucks in August, though production depends on availability of stock. They will be rationed to dealers under the supervision of War Production Boards. The same machinery that produced the jeeps will produce the trucks.

Council Orders
Albermarle Street
Declared Boulevard

The City Council decided to make Albermarle Street a through boulevard, so that traffic can flow more freely. The action, taken at the recommendation of Police Chief Floyd Gilbert, will turn the stop signs now blocking Albermarle at Lincoln and Eureka streets so that they block traffic on the two latter streets instead.

Oakland Man Tells of Being
Beaten in El Cerrito

A second suspect has been arrested in the severe beating of a taxi passenger Tuesday night, Sheriff James N. Long announced. Bruce Blocker, 21, a hotel resident, was booked in the El Cerrito city jail. The driver of the cab, Darrel Drennan, of 1218 Barrett Ave., is in the county jail in Martinez.

They are being held for investigation in the beating of Cecil Gains of Oakland, who was seated in the back seat of Drennan's cab, according to Inspector Barden Carlson. Gains alleged that a man seated next to him in the cab started the fight over Gains' alleged refusal to pay the fare.

Gains was severely kicked and beaten about his head and body, andtaken first to Richmond hospital then the Martinez hospital. Neither Drennan nor Blocker admits beating Gains but each blames the other. Gains' wallet with $37 was found nearby, so robbery did not appear to be a motive, Carlson said.

New Shoe Stamp
Valid August 1

The new shoe ration stamp will be Airplane Stamp No. 4 in War Ration Book No. 3, the Office of Price Administration said today. The OPA has announced that the stamp will be valid Aug. 1. The other three Airplane Stamps, No. 1, 2 and 3, are still valid, the agency said. It was Nov. 1 when the last stamp was validated, and the OPA noted that the intervals between validations depend on the supply of shoes.

Click  for other vignettes we've published about El Cerrito history. Click the Keep the Keep me posted button below for alerts to future articles in this series. You can find some back issues of the El Cerrito Journal at the Shadi Historical Room at City Hall, open to the public on the third Thursday of each month, 4:30-6 p.m.