Smog Problem of 1939

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The Smog Problem of 1939 was an especially bad bout of smog that plagued St. Louis, Missouri in the United States in 1939. The smog was so bad that residents had to use lanterns during the daytime to see outside for a week.

The newspaper Post-Dispatch started a campaign against the smog with a headline on November 26, 1939 entitled "An Approach to the Smoke Problem" suggesting ways that the city could cut down on pollution. The newspaper suggested buying cleaner fuel and distributing it to residents and resellers, helping eliminate the cheap but high-sulfur coal that was being used at the time.

In February of 1941, the paper reported "the plague of smoke and soot has been so well wiped off if not completely removed, that the shining countenance of the Missouri metropolis is now the envy of other cities." The Post-Dispatch would win a Pulitzer Prize for public service in 1941 for their efforts.