Pork was free for a few minutes on the Public Square of Marion, Illinois, as George G. Champ, Marion farmer, kept his promise to give away 18 little pigs which he said he could no longer feed because of the government’s corn freeze order. One police chief and 17 youngsters, each with a pig in a sack, were the lucky ones in a crowd of 500 to get a shoat (a young, weaned pig) apiece.
Sam’s Notes: Numerous commodities that we take for granted today were in extremely short supply during WWII and even in the period shortly following the war. Many staples including corn, coffee and sugar were often rationed or had governmental limitation imposed on them.
The accompanying photo was taken in the northeast corner of the square from the old City Hall area looking to the southwest.
(Chicago Bureau Wire Office, API photo, April, 30, 1944)