The opening of the 1940s found Ohio recovering slowly from the Great Depression of the previous decade. Ohioans, like the rest of the nation, were uncertain of the future and shocked at the tragic events occurring in Europe and Asia. They depended upon newspapers and the radio to stay abreast of events across the sea. Within a short time prosperity returned as America became the arsenal of democracy.

Life was different in 1940: fresh milk was delivered to homes in the morning, people smoked with little concern, few buildings were air conditioned, people shopped downtown, telephone party lines were common, and people generally dressed more formally than today. Born in the poverty of the Depression and shaped by a war of unimaginable horror, the decade spawned new ideas and attitudes that left an everlasting imprint on America.

Governor and Mrs. John Bricker and their son listen to news about the war in Europe in 1941. Before television, radio was a major means of receiving information and entertainment.