Today is my 8th wedding anniversary and my husband always tries to stay on the traditional “theme” by year. This year is bronze, and I had been eyeing this Reading “Key to the City” on Ebay for a few weeks. It was listed at $250, which was more than I was willing to pay. Luckily for me he’s not from Berks County and thus didn’t inherit the propensity to be cheap. (this is mostly a joke, though there may be some truth behind the stereotype)

The listing did say it was bronze, though it may also be brass, not that it makes a difference to me personally. It’s heavy, feels great to hold and I love it. Of course my first course of action was to see if I could date it and find any information on the story behind it.

Mayor John F. Davis

The engraving on the back side of the key made dating it easy, as it indicates Mayor John F. Davis was the one to give this one away. Davis was a Democratic Mayor of Reading between 1948-1952. His administration birthed the Reading Development Authority and Reading Housing Authority. During his term, the U.S. Crime Investigating Committee held its investigation of the racketeering and mob corruption of the city. Davis also hosted a visit by President Truman during his presidential campaign in October of 1948. It was Reading’s Bicentennial year, and celebrations for the occasion were underway.

Davis’ 1987 obituary reported that he was a popular dinner speaker, and spoke in 38 different states at various banquets and events. He succeeded Socialist Mayor Henry J. Stump, and lost his re-election bid for a second term to Republican James B. Bramford.

Keys Given between 1948-1952

I was able to find five documented occurrences of Mayor Davis giving away these keys. In October of 1948 a key was given to a boy named Tommy Bishop in celebration of a Freihofer’s Baking Company’s new product, Sonny Boy Bread. Freihofer’s was a regional operation with its beginnings in Philadelphia, but opened a plant at 936 Walnut Street in Reading in 1922. They were acquired by General Foods in 1987.

In May of 1949 the district sales manager M. O. Shuster Jr., of Capital Airlines arrived in Reading with various gifts for the Mayor. Allegedly tokens of goodwill from other cities on Capital’s route, included were a radio, ovenware, a belt, set of wrenches, and a fire extinguisher. Shuster also presented Davis with a large wooden key which was from the Mayor of Williamsport. Judging by Davis’ face the newspaper photo below, he looks bewildered by only having a key to give in return.

On this exact day in 1949 it was reported that Bill Holland, race car driver and recent winner of the Indianapolis 500 would be received in Reading by Mayor Davis. A parade was scheduled for the occasion, which came down Penn Street from the east to Penn Square were ceremonies were held. At that ceremony, a key was presented to Holland. Notably, Reading race car drivers Tommy Hinnershitz and Joie Chitwood were invited as guests of honor.

February 1951 marked the Elks Lodge 115 club’s 62nd anniversary. A dinner occurred on Valentines Day evening, when Mayor Davis presented a key to Joseph B. Kyle, grand exalted ruler of the order who was the principle speaker for the occasion. His speech was marked by a call for all within the organization to oppose Soviet Russia’s attempt to create a Communist world. “There is no room in the Order of Elks for the ‘summer soldier and the sunshine patriot.’ For men who believe in God, who believe in freedom, there can be no sacrifice too great to win this struggle for survival. Our duty is sacrifice. We should be prepared to do without the luxuries which we are accustomed to expect, and even curtail necessities. When the nation is fighting for its life, the hoarder and blackmarketeer are enemies of society.. Let every Elk Lodge be a citadel of freedom.” The crowd erupted, presumably.

Later that year in November, Davis gave a number of keys to leaders of the Rajah Temple to distribute to neighboring cities and towns in southeastern Pennsylvania. They were to be used as an official invitation to attend Reading’s first Shriner Pretzel Bowl football game, which was set to be played in Municipal Stadium by the teams from Albright and West Chester colleges. Proceeds from the game went to Shrine hospitals for underprivileged cripple children.

I realize it is quite possible that none of these are my key. Who knows how many Davis gave out that weren’t documented in local papers. Though it is fun to daydream about any one of these circumstances leading to the hunk of metal that now proudly sits on my desk.