On Memorial Day today I thought it would be appropriate to look for relics of wartime in Eagle Rock. There is not much, other than memorial plaques, but we do have a few of the old Air Raid Sirens still standing. A few months ago I posted about one of the other more visible Sirens on Colorado Blvd. The one above is much harder to find, located on a small residential street in the heart of Eagle Rock. Here are my childhood memories as well as some history:
On the last Friday of every month at 10:00am I would hear the familiar wail of the Air Raid Sirens. Throughout my childhood these 2 minute tests were so regular that when they ended in 1985 I almost missed them!
The Air Raid Sirens started going up just weeks after Pearl Harbor, and eventually about 225 were installed. About 150 still remain, silent and rusting. There are actually people who search these things out, and one person has put together a thorough website. They are not pretty, but they are a reminder of a part of our history, and I think it is important that at least some of them remain a part of our landscape.
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