Attack on Pearl Harbor felt in Shelton

The Shelton-Mason County Journal of Dec. 4, 1941, was focused on the upcoming Christmas holiday. The front page included a schedule of where and when Santa Claus would be appearing, and shoppers were encouraged to "shop early and shop in your hometown." The Shelton Garden Club announced details of its annual outdoor Christmas home illumination contest, and a two-day open house, including a dedication ceremony, was being planned for the newly completed Shelton gymnasium.

Three days later, everything changed. In her memoirs about growing up in Shelton, Margaret Lentz remembered that "on December...