As spring rolled around in 1946, a petition circulated in Rising Sun favoring the establishment of Daylight Savings Time. Once a majority of the businesses signed the circular, the municipality went on what some called “fast time” on Monday, April 29, 1946.
As most people inside the corporate limits retired on that Sunday evening, they pushed their clocks up an hour. Those that did were on time as a new work week started, although they had lost an hour’s sleep.
This “War Time,” used during World War I and II, sought to snatch an extra hour of sunlight so productivity increased. However, this difference of an hour between the town and the countryside caused considerable confusion in northern Cecil County as it was strictly a very local affair.
People from Colora, Conowingo, Calvert, Farmington, Sylmar, and farms across the rural areas having business to transact had to keep in mind that they lost an hour when they crossed the town line. Also, farmers generally did not favor the measure as they already were up taking care of chores before the sun came up and they could use the extra light in the morning.
As it happened, a town meeting had been called for Tuesday evening, April 30, at Firemen’s Hall to nominate candidates for the upcoming town election in May. There as townspeople considered nominating a slate of candidates for the election, a lively discussion developed concerning time. The sentiment was that as this was a farming community where daylight savings time was not popular, the rural public was entitled to consideration so “fast time” should be shelved in town.
Notes: Article Source: Midland Journal, May 3, 1946; Photo Undated from the Baltimore Sun (circa 1940s)