DECATUR PUBLIC LIBRARY SECOND FLOOR GALLERY September 14 November 30, 2005

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DECATUR PUBLIC LIBRARY SECOND FLOOR GALLERY
September 14 November 30, 2005
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• DECATUR THE WORLD WAR I YEARS
• The citizens of Decatur were profoundly impacted
  by the effects of the Great War. Sons and
  brothers were sent into battle and the home front
  teemed with patriotic activity. Everyone from
  homemakers to business owners to schoolchildren
  did their part to save precious commodities,
  promote the cause and donate time and money.
  This exhibit of photographs gives visual
  testimony to the efforts the community made to
  ensure the success of the war effort.
• All photographs are from the Decatur Public
  Librarys Local History collection unless
  otherwise noted.

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• Men waiting to be examined for the draft.
• It was estimated that at least 400 Macon County
  men enlisted in the Army or Navy before the
  United States was officially involved in the
  hostilities. When war was declared, April 16,
  1917, hundreds more enlisted before the draft
  began on May 18th . Before the war was over,
  Macon County had sent nearly 3,000 men into
  service.

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Company H, Illinois National Guard The soldiers
photographed in Decatur upon their return from
Springfield, 1917.
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• Company L, 5th Infantry, Illinois National Guard
  
• The company is shown drilling in Decatur six
  days before war was declared. The only group of
  local men together in one company was Company L,
  which became the nucleus of Company A, 124th
  Machine Gun Battalion. The 124th was a part of
  the 66th Brigade, 33rd Division.

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• Parade of Illinois Militia
• The Illinois Militia marching down Main Street
  toward Lincoln Square, probably Fall 1917.

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• Riverside School Garden
• Every aspect of life was filled with reminders
  that the war could only be won if everyone worked
  together. Work they did, even the children who
  created war gardens for food supplies.

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• War Gardens, Railroad YMCA.
• On the home front, Americans geared up to fight
  the war with everything they had. The National
  War Garden Commission asked families to plant
  gardens and to can fruits and vegetables from
  their household plots. Can Vegetables, Fruit,
  and the Kaiser, Too proclaimed a much-displayed
  poster for the Commission.

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• American Red Cross Canteen Hut.
• An important part of the local Red Cross work
  was the canteen hut maintained at the railroad
  stations. Train after train containing soldiers
  was met with women bearing supplies of
  sandwiches, goodies and drinks. Note the water
  fountain erected by the Womens Christian
  Temperance Union.

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• First class in surgical dressings, beginning
  August 27, 1917. Presented by Mrs. Inez Bender.
  
• One of the ways women contributed to the war
  effort was to prepare surgical dressings. Under
  the direction of the Womens Bureau of the
  American Red Cross, a Superintendent of Surgical
  Dressings was appointed for each of the 13
  national divisions into which the Red Cross had
  been divided. This local class in surgical
  dressings consisted of at least seven lessons of
  not less than two hours each. Detailed
  instructions were provided in a manual for
  cutting, folding and wrapping 23 different types
  of surgical dressings. Participants were graded
  on cleanliness, neatness, accuracy and speed.

Class participants as noted on the photograph
1. Mrs. Dr. L. M. Lindsey, Instructor 2. Mrs.
Bond 3. Mrs. Aldrich 4. Mrs. Charles
Armstrong 5. Mrs. Edna Whitley 6. Miss Gertrude
Dillehunt 7. Miss Albie Ryan 8. Miss Emma
Miller 9. Miss Louise Curtis 10. Miss Lyda
Coleman 11. Mrs. George Wright 12. Mrs. C.
Martin Wood 13. Mrs. George Rice 14. Miss Doris
Roach 15. Mrs. Oldham 16. Miss Margery
Powers 17. Mrs. Heilman Two members of the
class, Mrs. Steele and Mrs. Tyler, were not
present the day the picture was taken.
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• School Children from St. Patricks School
• The students hold a parade to demonstrate their
  patriotic spirit

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• Metzlers grocery, located at 130 Merchant
  Street
• The demands for personnel profoundly affected
  Decatur businesses. The sign in this empty
  storefront is a poignant reminder of the
  sacrifices made by many families. The sign reads
  Closed temporarily will reopen in about one
  month with a complete line vegetables, fruits,
  cheese and fancy groceries.We are all in the
  service for Uncle Sam The two stars beneath the
  sign indicate two members of the family are
  currently in the service.

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• The Patriotic Food Show
• This event was held in Decatur to show women
  how to use substitutes for wheat, meat, fats and
  sugarIt is a patriotic effort to help win the
  war. 12,000 people attended the show, held at
  the Hotel Orlando from February 27th through
  March 2nd, 1918. Local and nationally known
  experts gave a series of lectures and
  demonstrations, such as preparation of war bread,
  uses of fish, how food will win the war and what
  to plant in a war garden. In this photo,
  representatives of the University of Illinois
  wearing the official Food Administration cap
  discuss food conservation efforts with interested
  homemakers in the Palm Room of the Orlando Hotel.

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• Free Public Library of Decatur
• Materials from the Library are featured in a
  display to assist homemakers in food conservation.

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• American Red Cross War Drive
• A national effort by the American Red Cross to
  raise 100 million for its war fund was held May
  20th through 27th, 1918. Macon Countys quota
  was set at 60,000, and the campaign was kicked
  off with a grand parade in which fully 5,000
  people marched and thousands lined the streets to
  see the floats, special formations, bands and
  drums corps that turned out to represent nearly
  every organization in the city.
• The Decatur Herald reported on May 21, 1918,
  that Macon County residents generously
  oversubscribed their goal, with 66,000 received
  by the end of the drive, and 80,000 expected
  when all reports were tallied. They are going
  after 80,000 and expect to work until it is
  reached, or at least until every inch of the
  ground has been covered.

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• Red Cross Parade,
• May 20, 1918
• Members of the Red Cross march in special
  formation to form a living Red Cross. (Upper
  Left)
• float depicting the Kaiser hanging with the
  devil looking on in glee formed a part of the
  parade which was greatly appreciated, according
  to a May 21st, 1918 Herald article. (Lower
  Left)

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• One of the many bands that turned out in support
  of the Red Cross effort. (Upper Left)
• Illinois Traction system employees carry an
  oversize flag in the parade. (Lower Left)

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• The float presented by Emerson Piano House,
• 143-145 N. Main Street, shows a big dog on top
  of a large Red Cross with the caption A Dog-On
  Good Thing. The rear of the float also boasts
  the 100 per cent banner which indicates that
  every member of the organization or firm
  represented was a member of the Red Cross the
  Herald reported these banners were astonishingly
  frequent. (Left)

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• Employees of Decatur Malleable Iron,
• Located at the corner of Curtis and North
  Woodford Streets, the employees display their
  pride at being 100 bond buyers.

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• Window Display Promoting the 3rd Liberty Loan
• By the end of the war, the government had
  borrowed 20 percent of the 33 billion cost of
  the war the rest was paid by taxes. The former
  was achieved through a series of bond sales, four
  of which were known as Liberty Loans, the fifth
  launched in the spring of 1919, was called a
  Victory Loan. The third Liberty Loan was
  initiated on April 3, 1918, when the Treasury
  Department issued 3 billion worth of bonds
  bearing an interest rate of 4 ½ percent. This
  drive extended through September 1918, when the
  fourth Liberty Loan was initiated. Macon County
  oversubscribed its quota in every drive.

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• 4th Liberty Loan Window Display
• The William Gushard Dry Goods Company featured a
  window display promoting the 4th Liberty Loan,
  which was announced September, 1918. Gushards
  was located at 301-313 N. Water Street.

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• The Canteen Committee greeting a troop train.
• One of the record days at the canteen hut was in
  June, 1919, when the 356th Infantry of the 89th
  Division, including 1,500 men from Missouri and
  Kansas, went through Decatur on their way home
  from France. Thirty-one canteen women served
  3,000 sandwiches, 5,000 cookies, a similar number
  of doughnuts, ice cream cones, bananas and other
  tasty treats to the hungry soldiers. The
  gentleman in the foreground is J. H. Culver,
  general chairman of the canteen hut. Since
  anything faintly German was suspect, the canine
  in the lower right hand corner of the photo would
  have been called a Liberty Pup.

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• Homecoming of Company A, May 31, 1919.
• The entire 124th Machine Gun Battalion was
  mustered out of service at Camp Grant near
  Rockford, Illinois on Friday May 30th. Most
  rolled into Decatur on Saturday afternoon May 31,
  and were met with a city-wide celebration
  including a short parade, although some had
  arrived Friday afternoon, Friday night and
  Saturday morning. You could not blame the men
  for coming home just as soon as they were
  discharged, said Major Krigbaum.

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• Returned Soldiers Honored
• A banquet for returned soldiers, circa July,
  1919.
• Banquet at the S.A.T.C.
• Returned soldiers were honored at a banquet
  given at the (Student Army Training Corps) mess
  hall on the campus of Millikin University, April
  11, 1919

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• William H. Daily, U. S. Army
• Mr. Daily, a lifelong resident of the Niantic
  area, served with Company C, 315th Engineers from
  April 27th, 1918 to June 27th, 1919.
• Photo courtesy of Catherine Stoutenborough,
  Decatur

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• Ralph Dickey, U. S. Army
• A resident of Pana, Mr. Dickey came from a
  farming heritage and was a past officer of the
  Rural Letter Carriers Association and a longtime
  member of the Kerr-Mize Post American Legion.
• Photo courtesy of Rotha Dickey, Decatur

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• Orval W. Diehl, U. S. Army
• Mr. Diehl, a longtime resident of Decatur,
  served in the Army along with his three brothers
  during World War I. He was president of the
  Decatur Chamber of Commerce in 1943, and authored
  several books. A Millikin University graduate,
  he received the alumnus of the Year Award in
  1952.
• Photo courtesy of David M. Diehl, Decatur

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• Marion G. Godwin,
• U. S. Marine Corps
• Mr. Godwin, a building contractor, developed the
  Lakeview Shopping Center at Brush College and
  William Street roads, in 1953. This is
  considered Decaturs first shopping center. He
  was stationed in Pennsylvania during the war.
• Photo courtesy of Betty Watkins, Decatur

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• W. L. Krigbaum, U. S. Army
• During World War I, Mr. Krigbaum commanded
  Decaturs own Company A, 124th Machine Gun
  Battalion. He enlisted in the Illinois National
  Guard in 1908 and was commissioned a 1st
  Lieutenant in 1912. He was promoted in May 1916
  to the rank of Captain. On October 9th, 1918 he
  single-handedly used a captured German machine
  gun to break and turn back an Axis offensive.
  For this action he was awarded both the
  Distinguished Service Cross and the Croix de
  Guerre and in April 1919 was again promoted to
  the rank of Major.
• He also served during the Second World War,
  being advanced to full Colonel in 1944 after
  being called back into service in 1940. He was
  awarded the Legion of Merit for his work with
  limited-duty servicemen and also served as civil
  defense commander for Decatur. He was retired
  from the Army December 18, 1946.
• Photo from the Local History files of the
  Decatur Public Library

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• David Larson (left), U. S. Army
• Clarence (Kelly) Larson (center), U. S. Navy
  and Hjalmer (Jack) Larson, U. S. Army.
• Corporal H. E. Jack Larson, at wars end, was
  commissioned to personally convoy one of General
  John J. Pershings secret battle maps to West
  Point, and there turn it over to the Commandant,
  Col. Douglas MacArthur, for inclusion in the
  archives of the Academy.
• Photo courtesy of Robert A. Larson, Decatur

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• Roger McGee, U. S. Army
• A corporal with the 2nd Division, 2nd Engineers
  and a Moweaqua resident, a photo of Mr. McGee was
  used by the Chicago Tribune to advertise its
  series of articles by General John J. Pershing.
• Photo courtesy of Carol Anderson, Sullivan

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• Leonard Morris, U. S. Army
• Born in England, Mr. Morris came to the United
  States as a youth and farmed near Niantic with
  his family. He joined the Army in September,
  1918 and even though the Armistice was signed
  just weeks later, he served as a truck driver at
  a German prisoner of war camp at Camp Grant near
  Rockford until March, 1919. He was honored as 75
  year member of Decatur American Legion Post 105,
  and was 102 years of age at his death in 1999.
• Photo courtesy of Robert and Ilene Wong, Decatur

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• Bernard C. Patterson, U. S.
• A graduate of Millikin University, Mr. Patterson
  taught industrial arts and physical education in
  Lincoln and Oak Park high schools before becoming
  associated with the contracting firm of Baker and
  Patterson, from which he retired.
• Photo courtesy of Betty Watkins, Decatur

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• Rolland H. P. Short, U. S. Army
• A corporal with Company L, 124th Machine Gun
  Battalion, Mr. Short was 16 when he joined the
  service, giving his age as 19. In an interview
  with the Decatur Herald and Review in April,
  1967, he explained It looked like there was
  going to be a war, and if I went I wanted to go
  with the hometown boys I knew. In October 1918,
  he was taken prisoner in the Meuse-Argonne sector
  and spent two months in a German prison camp,
  living on a diet of horsemeat broth and a slice
  of coarse brown bread served twice daily.
• Photo courtesy of Clara Short, Decatur

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• Kenneth W. Stonebraker, U. S. Marine Corps
• A retired inspector for Decatur Signal Depot,
  Mr. Stonebraker served at Parris Island, South
  Carolina during the war. He was a nationally
  known breeder of championship Chihuahuas and at
  one time was honored as the areas oldest member
  of the Boy Scouts.
• Photo courtesy of Marlene Gagliano, Decatur

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• Castle Williams, U. S. Army
• The first member of Decaturs Company A, 124th
  Machine Gun Battalion to be killed in action.
  Sergeant Williams died during a German artillery
  attack on October 7th, 1918, near Verdun, France,
  while the Company was getting into position for
  the battle of Consenvoye. Initially buried in
  France, his remains were returned to Decatur and
  on July 24th, 1921, he was buried in Fairlawn
  Cemetery after an elaborate funeral procession.
  Decaturs American Legion Post 105 was named for
  him at the suggestion of his commanding officer,
  Major W. L. Krigbaum. Just days before Sgt.
  Williams death, his brother Okey also died while
  serving at a naval radio station in France. The
  burial flags for both men can be seen in the
  entrance foyer at the American Legion, 1535
  Legion Drive.
• Photo courtesy of Decatur American Legion Castle
  Williams Post 105

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• Above German dog tag
• Below Rolland Shorts dog tags
• Soldiers Handbook and Machine Gun Instruction
  booklet belonging to Col. Krigbaum of Decatur.
• Books and manuals that belonged to Colonel W.L.
  Krigbaum, including a notebook in which he kept
  the names of soldiers under his command who were
  wounded or killed.

Display Case Memorabilia donated by Decatur
area residents.
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• Items belonging to John Henry Corey of Decatur
• -Uniform insignia
• -Soldiers Bible
• -Match book case made by a German P.O.W.
• Photo of Carl Lee Nickerson

Display Case Memorabilia donated by Decatur
area residents.
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• Medals awarded to Rolland Short
• Top Row
• Iron Cross, 1914
• Victory medal with battles fought
• Army Occupation medal 1918-1923
• Bottom Row
• Prisoner of War medal
• National Defense medal
• This preserved piece of brown bread was the given
  to Decatur native, Rolland Short by a Red Cross
  worker when he was freed from a German prisoner
  of war camp.
• Ring made from German coins by Roland Short while
  he was a prisoner of war.
• Items from the Decatur Public Library local
  history files.

Display Case Memorabilia donated by Decatur
area residents.
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• WWI Army Uniform that belonged to Carl Nickerson

Display Case Memorabilia donated by Decatur
area residents.
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• U.S. Flag presented to the family of WWI veteran
  Leonard Morris upon his death at age 102 in 1999.
• U.S. Navy Sailors uniform that belonged to
  Howard Gragg.

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• WWI Haversack and Shovel.
• WWI Gas Mask.
• In memory of
• Reuben C. Horton
• Private, Company M, 349th Infantry
• From the United States of America
• Died for freedom during the great war
• Homage of France
• The President of the Republic
• R. Poincaré

Display Case Memorabilia donated by Decatur
area residents.
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• German Combat Helmet
• These German belt buckles and match box case bear
  the inscription Gott mit uns (God is with us).
  U.S. soldiers quickly came up with their own
  belt buckles that parodied the German buckles and
  read We got mittens.
• Co. B, S.A.T.C. James Millikin University, 1918
  Decatur, ILL

Display Case Memorabilia donated by Decatur
area residents.
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Book Display of selected titles and authors.
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Decatur Public Library September 14 November
30, 2005