Many of you reading this week’s On the Porch may remember fallout shelters and the role of the Office of Civil Defense during the Cold War. The Department of Defense, Office of Civil Defense printed a lot of information regarding fallout protection from a nuclear weapon at the height of the Cold War in the 1960s. “Fallout Protection: What To Know And Do About Nuclear Attack” was an official United States federal government booklet released in December 1961. The fallout shelter was specially designed to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a nuclear explosion. Many of these enclosed spaces were constructed as civil defense measures during the Cold War. There were public buildings in Lyon County that had space dedicated for a fallout shelter. These buildings were marked with the black and yellow fallout shelter sign. The museum (former library building) still has a fallout shelter sign sticker above the back door.

The following excerpt is from President Lyndon B. Johnson’s message to Congress on Jan. 18, 1965. “It is already clear that without fallout shelter protection for our citizens, all defense weapons lose much of their effectiveness in saving lives. This also appears to be the least expensive way of saving millions of lives, and the one which has clear value even without other systems. We will continue our existing programs and start a program to increase the total inventory of shelters through a survey of private home and other small structures.”

The above excerpt was published in the booklet, “Fallout Protection For Homes With Basements,” which was published by the Department of Defense, Office of Civil Defense in July of 1966. This booklet was prepared for homeowners whose basement had been analyzed by an electronic computer for fallout protection as a result of a questionnaire that was filled out by residents describing the house and the basement. The results of the analysis of the home, based on the Home Survey Questionnaire, are on the back cover of the booklet. The booklet provides details concerning the analysis along with suggested methods for increasing the amount of protection available.

The photograph featured this week shows a book, which is in the Lyon County Museum’s collection. This book was prepared in cooperation with the United States Department of Defense, Office of Civil Defense, the Minnesota Department of Civil Defense, and the Lyon County Office of Civil Defense in March 1968. It is titled, “A Citizen’s Handbook on Nuclear Attack and Natural Disasters.” The book includes a dust jacket with the title, “Lyon County in Time of Emergency.” The names of community leaders are listed on the dust jacket. BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS: Chet Rewerts, Chairman; Joseph Brewers; Torgny Anderson; Blake Nehls; and Donald Hively. MAYORS: Samual Pomrantz, Marshall; Homer Dobson, Tracy; L.A. Dero, Minneota; Thomas Collins, Cottonwood; James Ulvilden, Russell; Daryl Swan, Balaton; Kenneth Verschaerse, Ghent; Delmer Saxton, Garvin; Max Kasmolski, Taunton; and Alfred Larson, Lynd. Other leaders listed include: State Senator, Joe Josefson; State Representative, Casper (Cap) Fisher; S.W. Minnesota State College Director of Campus Planning, Willard Isfeld; Sheriff, Roland Rans; Lyon County Red Cross Chairman, L.A. Spinner; County Civil Defense Director, I.J. Baumann; and County Extension Agent, Raymond Newell.

The Lyon County Historical Society (LCHS) is a nonprofit, member-supported organization. LCHS operates the Lyon County Museum at 301 West Lyon Street in Marshall. The Lyon County Museum is open year-round to visitors. To contact us, visit our website: www.lyoncomuseum.org, call: 507-537-6580, email: director@lyoncomuseum.org, or on our Facebook page.