Washington County Red Cross During W orld War I By Jane Young The Am erican Red C ross w as founded by C lara B arton, The Lady w ith the Lamp, of Civil W ar fam e. C lara h ad traveled to E urope on do cto r’s orders to recu p erate from a n illness an d the stre ss of h er post-Civil W ar w ork in th e M issing Soldiers Office. While th ere she w as in sp ired by th e w ork of th e Sw iss Red C ross. She th e n served w ith the In tern atio n al Red C ross in m ilitary h o sp itals in E urope d u rin g th e FrancoP ru ssia n w ar. After C lara re tu rn e d to th e S tates, she founded th e Am erican Red C ross in 1881. At first, th e Red C ross w as a “onew om an” p h ilan thropic effort th a t evolved, w ith change in leadership, to be a n agency th a t is m ore focused on social work. In 1900, th e U nited S tates C ongress g ran ted the A m erican Red C ross a c h a rte r w ith several specific responsibilities: to fulfill th e provisions of th e Geneva Convention; to provide family com m unication a n d other form s of su p p o rt to th e U nited S ta te s m ilitary; an d to m ain tain a system of dom estic a n d in te rn atio n al d isa ste r relief. Then, in 1909, th e Am erican Red C ross form ed th e N ational Com m ittee on Red C ross N ursing Service. The goal of th is com m ittee w as to enroll n u rs e s for possible w ar tim e service. In J u n e 1914, A rchduke F erdinand w as a ssa ss in a te d in Sarajevo, tipping the already u n sta b le E uropean alliances The Tallow Light', Vol. 48, No. 3 into w ar. Due to strong public opinion to stay o u t of th e w ar, P resident Woodrow W ilson declared th e United S tates a n e u tra l country. D uring th is tim e while th e U nited S tates w as n e u tra l, th e A m erican Red C ross w as having difficulty soliciting fu n d s for w ar relief in Europe. There were no A m ericans in im m inent danger. T hen, a s Am erican lives were increasingly lost in th e w ar, P resident Woodrow W ilson spoke on April 2, 1917, to th e Congress. “The world m u st be m ade safe for dem ocracy,” he stated , an d th e P resident ask ed for a declaration of w ar a g ain st G erm any. Clara B a rto n , 1 8 2 1 -1 9 1 2 ; nps.gov 57 W ar w as declared on April 6th, dram atically changing th e th o u g h ts an d actio n s of th e A m erican public. Now we were ready to fight a n d win. Local chapter form ed In th e early m o n th s of 1917, Miss Eloise G rafton, w as in h e r m id-tw enties a n d living w ith h e r family on F ourth S treet in M arietta. Eloise G ra fto n ; A m e ric a n Red C ross o f S o u th e a s t O hio, N o rw ic h , O hio Eloise wrote to M iss Mable B oardm an, a t th e N ational Red C ross h e a d q u a rte rs in W ashington D.C., to find o u t how to s ta rt a local c h ap ter of th e Red C ross. Miss B o ard m an ’s resp o n se w as th a t th ere w as already a “life m em ber of the Red C ross in M arietta, William W. Mills, a n d he sh o u ld be c o n su lted .” This led to an inform al m eeting of a b o u t tw enty concerned citizens. 58 Several com m ittees were tentatively appointed a n d a public m eeting scheduled to be held Tuesday, April 10th, in th e assem bly room of th e C ourt House. From a n ew spaper article an n o u n cin g th e m eeting: “M arietta’s first o pportunity in these stirring tim es to prove h e r patriotism . The cooperation of all o u r citizens an d all organizations is needed for our taking o u r proper sh a re in Red C ross Relief in tim e of w ar an d great c a ta stro p h e .” Over 500 citizens a tten d e d the m eeting. Several sp eak ers explained w hat th e Red C ross w as accom plishing overseas on th e battlefields, in the hospitals, for p riso n ers of w ar, an d for fam ilies of soldiers. W hen p u t to a vote, all were in favor of estab lish in g a local chapter. Then they voted for officers a n d directors. Mr. William Mills w as chosen a s ch airm an , a position he held u n til his d e ath in 1931. The directors included citizens from Beverly, Lowell, a n d Belpre. At later m eetings, a s the w ork an d responsibilities increased, m ore citizens were added to th e board. D uring an O ctober m eeting th e bylaw s se n t from th e N ational ch ap ter were adopted. In Decem ber, the n am e w as changed from th e M arietta C h ap ter to th e W ashington C ounty C hapter. In a few m o n th s, th e ch ap ter grew to include 10 b ra n c h e s an d 14 auxiliaries. The only salaried w orkers were a bookkeeper in the h e a d q u a rte rs office, a n d a Red C ross n u rse for city a n d county work. In O ctober 1917, after C om pany B of the 7th Ohio N ational G uard h a d left for its train in g a t Cam p S heridan in A labam a, The Tallow Light; Vol. 48, No. 3 th e S tate offered th e entire Armory for th e u se of th e Red C ross chapter. Red Cross c la sse s Now, th e w ork of th e Red C ross. The first class offered w as a First Aid class u n d e r th e guidance of th e F irst Aid Com m ittee. C lasses were open to m en a n d wom en age 16 or older. E ach class co n sisted of 10 lectu res a n d d em o n stratio n s, each a n h o u r an d a h alf in length. The lectu res were given by local physicians. C lasses were held th ree days a week, both in th e afternoon a n d evening. There w as a textbook an d a n exam , w ith a certification for proficiency for those p assin g the exam . There w as a m inim al charge for the class. One h u n d re d a n d sixteen citizens took th e class a n d of those, thirty-four p a sse d th e final exam . The textbook for th is class is very detailed a n d co n tain s diag ram s for various first aid tech n iq u es, including bandaging. There are tre a tm e n ts for apoplexy an d chilblains. Almost all situ atio n s were trea te d w ith stim u la n ts th a t u su ally included som e form of alcohol. The second class offered w as E lem entary Hygiene a n d Home care of th e Sick. There w as a corresponding com m ittee overseeing th is class. This free class w as for wom en only. There were 15 lesso n s per class. These lesso n s were ta u g h t by a Red C ross n u rse “who h a d been a t th e F ro n t.” Eighty-eight wom en enrolled in the classes. The object of the class w as “to teach wom en p ersonal a n d household hygiene in order th a t they m ay acquire those h a b its of right living a n d prevent The Tallow Light', Vol. 48, No. 3 sickness a n d learn th e skills of the upbringing of a strong a n d vigorous W illiam W. Mills; Harry P. Fischer Collection, Marietta College Special Collections people.” At th a t tim e th e d e ath rate for in fan ts u n d e r one year w as 14 in 100 live birth s. W hen com pared to the 2015 d eath rate for in fan ts u n d e r one year of age, six per 1,000 live b irth s, th e strong w ording of th e object of th is class can be placed in a b e tter perspective. In stru ctio n s in th e textbook include to “exclude from a sick room u n n e c e ssa ry noises of all kinds: creaking corsets, noisy p etticoats, ticking clocks an d ru stlin g n ew sp ap ers.” Also, the “a tte n d a n t m u st rem em ber th a t h er ten fingers are the ten m ost active ag en ts in d istrib u tin g the com m unicable diseases. She m u st rem em ber to keep h e r h a n d s 59 away from h er m o u th a n d face a n d to cleanse th em w ith special care ju s t before eatin g .” This is still good advice today. W ork room The W ork Room C om m ittee h a d the biggest u n d e rta k in g of th e C h ap ter in th ese w ar years. The class P reparation of Surgical D ressings w as open to all wom en volunteering for practical work. The w ork room w as situ ated in the b a sem e n t of the Armory. There the ladies c u t an d sewed a n d knitted, an d p roduced the m uch-needed articles for h o sp itals, soldiers, a n d refugees. These articles were th e n se n t to th e Red C ross regional h e a d q u a rte rs in Cleveland an d from th ere d istrib u te d w here m ost needed. “Made in M arietta” w as adopted to signify th a t the local c h ap ter w as proud to su b m it supplies w hich m easu red u p in every asp ect to th e high an d exact sta n d a rd s set by th e N ational Red C ross. The local new spaper encouraged wom en to volunteer for the w ork room by describing it a s “An o pportunity for the wom en of M arietta to express th eir patriotism in a concrete way in o u r c o u n try ’s tim e of n eed ”. Mrs. Mary Coar w as th e ch airm an for a m ajority of th e w ar years. Her h u sb a n d , H enry w as a professor of m ath an d astronom y a t M arietta College. Mary h a d tak en a special course a t the Red C ross train in g school in W ashington, D.C. in p rep aratio n for h er volunteer work. On May 14, 1917, the first group of ladies m et in th e b asem en t of th e arm ory to sew. They m et two days a week, w ith sessio n s in th e m orning a n d one in the afternoon. There were Red Cross w o rk ro o m , M a rie tta A rm o ry ; H a rry P. Fischer C o lle c tio n , M a rie tta C ollege Special C o lle c tio n s 60 The Tallow Light; Vol. 48, No. 3 u su a lly 75 to 200 wom en p re se n t a t each session. Several m em bers of th e H ospital Supply Com m ittee were alw ays on h a n d to direct the work. There were su b co m m ittees for the various articles, for cutting, for inspecting a n d packing, p u rc h a sin g a n d distrib u tio n , a n d also for n ig h t w ork available to working wom en. Initially th ere were seven large tables a n d four sewing m achines. The Safe C abinet C om pany h a d loaned a desk. There w as a req u e st p u t o u t for the loan of a typew riter for invoices. One n ew sp ap er noted, “A u n iq u e innovation in th e Red C ross w ork room h a s been th e w earing of a sim ple b u t distinctive uniform by each m em ber of the hospital su p p lies com m ittee. T hese uniform s co n sist of ap ro n s, arm -b a n d s, a n d caps, each article decorated w ith a deep red cross. The w earing of th ese uniform s len ds a n in stitu tio n a l an d dignified air to th e w ork room .” By J u n e 23, 1917 th e first box containing 1,824 articles w as ready to be sh ipped to h e ad q u a rte rs. E ach box w as stam p ed w ith “A m erican Red C ross, M arietta Ohio C h a p te r.” The N ational H ead q u arters w ould send re q u e sts for q u o tas of specific articles a s needed, an d th e need co n tin u ed a n d grew th ro u g h th e w ar years. An O ctober 1918 n ew sp ap er article sta te d th a t m ore w orkers were needed, a large q u a n tity of su p p lies w as on h a n d a n d large q u o tas to fill, especially clothing for Belgium a n d lin en s for m ilitary h o sp itals in France. V arious w om en’s groups in the co u n ty w ould also sew or k n it item s for th e Red Cross. The Tallow Light; Vol. 48, No. 3 You can help AMERICAN RED CROSS Red Cross p o s te r; L ib ra ry o f C ongress The A lpha Nu Sigm a sorority a t M arietta College devoted one h o u r of each of th eir m eetings to Red C ross work, specifically g arm en ts for the Belgium o rp h an s. Together w ith th e w ork of the ladies of th e b ra n c h e s an d auxiliaries w ithin th e county, from May 1917 till J u n e of 1919 a total of 217,432 articles were m ade an d se n t to h e a d q u a rte rs in Cleveland. To give you a n idea of the types a n d n u m b e rs of individual item s: • For h ospital use: 200 pair of tren c h foot slippers, 712 operating gowns for surgeons, 9,304 bed sheets, a n d 44,000 2x2 gauze com presses 61 • For the soldiers: 2,222 knit sw eaters an d 5,847 p a irs of knit socks • For n u rse s: 537 kn it sw eaters • For refugees in Europe: 89 layettes for b abies a n d 600 pinafores, chem ises, a n d pettico ats for girls The C om m ittee for W orn Clothing for Belgium held th ree different drives for u se d clothing. A total of 8,062 p o u n d s of clothing, or 9,000 g arm en ts were collected. T hen in April 1921, u n d e r the direction of Mrs. Mary Coar, th e wom en w orked in the b asem e n t of the public library a n d m ade 40 k n itted sw eaters a n d 810 g arm en ts for needy babies an d children in Europe. Growing membership And th ere were o th er com m ittees. The M em bership C om m ittee initially enrolled 270 m em bers of th e local Red C ross a t th e organizing m eeting in April 1917. T hen th e following day a large notice w as in th e Marietta Daily Times: “Be a patriot. We can n o t all go to the front, b u t we can all be p atriots. They serve th eir country, who serve a t hom e. Be a patriot, an d join th e Red C ross”. The yearly m em bership for both the N ational a n d local organization w as $1.00 a year. For $2.00, you also would receive th e m onthly Red C ross m agazine, w hich contained a sum m ary of the Red C ross activities a ro u n d the world. A Life M em bership w as $25, w ith all of th is m oney going to the N ational E ndow m ent F und. In May 1917, the total Am erican Red C ross m em bership w as 486,194. 62 By 1919, th a t m em bership h a d grown to one th ird of th e entire population of the U nited S tates. M arietta’s goal w as 1,500 m em bers. D uring th e first m em bership cam paign in May, m em bers of the com m ittee w ent to factories, b u sin e sse s, an d residential areas. There were also “tag d ay s.” Three tea m s of 10 young ladies each were in th e dow ntow n area. For identification, they wore a Red C ross on th eir sleeve. The first day of the cam paign, 763 citizens joined th e local ch ap ter. By J u n e 1st, one new spap er an n o u n ced , “C am paign of Red C ross a big su c ce ss.” Now th ere were a total of 2,604 m em bers a n d over $3,000 h a d been collected. By O ctober 1st, m em bership h a d doubled. The C h ristm as m em bership drive bro u g h t the m em bership to alm ost 12,000. Then in D ecem ber of 1918, w ith a n o th e r cam paign, th e m em bership in creased to 14,000 in W ashington C ounty. B ased on th e United S ta te s Federal C ensu s, W ashington C ounty population, 14,000 is one th ird of the population of the county in 1918. W ashington C ounty could be very p ro u d of th e ou tp o u rin g of citizens to prove th eir patriotism by joining the Red Cross. Fundraising Mr. B.F. (Benjamin) S trecker w as the ch airm an of the Finance Com m ittee. In resp o n se to a req u e st from the N ational Red C ross to raise m oney for th e W ar Fund, th e local c h a p te r set th eir goal at $25,000, well above the goal of $5,000 set by National. The first W ashington C ounty W ar F u n d drive took place in J u n e 1917 an d raised $27,000. A year The Tallow Light; Vol. 48. No. 3 later, the second W ar F u n d drive b ro u g h t in $ 56,000, again m ore th a n the q u o ta set by th e N ational Red Cross. W hen local c h ap te rs raised m ore th a n th e N ational goal, they could th e n keep 25% of th e a m o u n t for th eir local u se. A very generous a m o u n t th a t could th en be u se d to p u rc h a se supplies for the w ork room sewing a n d knitting, an d help th e soldiers a n d th eir families. The E n te rta in m e n t Com m ittee arran g ed v arious activities to raise m oney for th e Red C ross funds. This -------------------------------------- —----- -—: t ' Don’t Forget the + R E D C R O SS+ CARNIVAL; FESTIVAL LABOR DAY, and Evenings At Country Club Grounds EVERYONE INVITED Carnival Features Galore All Attractions Guaranteed High Grade D an cin g -M u sic-V a u d ev ille Games and Amusements tor all die Children Drill and Maneuvers by Local l . S. Corps ft* Ford Sedan and Safe-Cabinet *1T B ig g e s t E v e n t in Y e a r s ~ D o n ;t M is s I t . O p e n f o r A I I F r e e A d m is s io n t o G r o u n d s Come Rain op Shine w ould be sep arate from th e W ar F und s. In May 1917, a dance, “For Sweet C harity’s S ake,” w as held a t th e Armory to honor C om pany B. M usic w as provided by th e Lyric five-piece orch estra. Two h u n d re d fifty people atten d ed , m any of th em soldiers a n d th eir friends. In J u n e , The M arietta B and gave a concert a t M uskingum Park. A dim e w ould get you a com fortable seat. There w as a free will collection. A n ew spaper notice of the concert encouraged read ers, “Do your bit, if you c a n ’t go to th e w ar, you can help th e Red C ross.” The following m o n th “The Patriotic G irls” gave a benefit program of songs, piano solos, readings, a n d a “flag a n d a backw ard drill.” Then, th e biggest e n te rta in m e n t w as planned. The Labor Day C arnival a n d Festival, Septem ber 3, 1917, w as held on the C ountry Club grounds. This event w as organized to pay for th e y arn for th e 700 k n itted sh irts a n d th e 700 k n itted p airs of socks th a t th e N ational Red C ross h ad com m issioned th e local c h ap ter to produce. The wool for th is w ork w ould cost $1,900. Advertised specifically to a ttra c t a d u lts were the dancing, th e card s, an d raffles for a Ford S edan a n d a cabinet from th e Safe C abinet Com pany. The fancy w ork table w ould a ttra c t the atten tio n of the ladies. For children, th ere were pony rides, a sa n d pile, an d folk dancing. A n u rse ry for young children w as offered so th a t p a re n ts Red Cross a d v e rtis e m e n t; M arietta Daily Times, A u g u s t 29, 1917 The Tallow Light ; Vol. 48, N o. 3 63 R e d C ro s s v o l u n t e e r s p r o m o t i n g t h e 1 9 1 7 L a b o r D a y C a r n iv a l & F e s tiv a l; H a r r y P. F is c h e r C o lle c t io n , M a r i e t t a C o lle g e S p e c ia l C o lle c t io n s could m ore easily enjoy all the festivities of the day. Food w as plentiful w ith a cafeteria in th e club h o u se and refresh m en t booths. For all, the e n te rta in m e n t included vaudeville a n d a midway. For those ad v en tu ro u s souls, M adam e DeVerney from France, a renow ned p alm ist an d m ind read er w as available. A jitn ey b u s m ade trip s down Third S treet every h a lf h o u r to bring people to the C ountry Club. At th a t tim e th e M arietta C ounty Club w as located in th e m aple grove j u s t n o rth of M arietta, in th e a re a now know n a s Devola. A ttendance a t tim es w as 3,000 or m ore. A profit of $2,500 w as m ade w ith $1,900 of th a t to be u se d to p u rch a se th e y arn. Between April 1917 a n d May 1919, th ro u g h m oney m aking v en tu res an d d o n atio ns, th e E n te rta in m e n t 64 Com m ittee bro u g h t in m ore th a n $2 0 ,0 0 0 . The P ress C om m ittee w as h ead ed a t first by Miss Eloise G rafton, th e lady who w rote th a t first letter of inquiry to N ational H eadquarters. Then Miss Rowena Buell, a Fifth S treet residen t, becam e th e director. Mrs. Je ssie Lindsay, a resid en t of F o u rth S treet in w h at w as to becom e “The C astle,” w as also on th is com m ittee. They w orked to get th e inform ation a b o u t m em bership cam paigns, e n te rta in m e n t events, classes, an d th e su c ce ss an d need s of the w ork room o u t to the public. This com m ittee placed p o ste rs in store windows, a n d articles in th e five local new spapers. B ased on m y recen t reading of th ese new sp ap ers a n d the a m o u n t of m oney raised a n d th e n u m b er of wom en sewing a n d k n itting for the The Tallow Light; Vol. 48, No. 3 Red C ross, th e ladies of the P ress C om m ittee were very successful. Supporting th e troop s The C om m ittee for th e Needs of C om pany B of th e 7th Ohio N ational G u ard provided item s n o t allotted by the governm ent: two BVD u n io n su its, two p air of woolen socks, one woolen shirt, one b a th towel, an d one cake of soap. H ardly enough to get a m an th ro u g h a w ar, b u t se n t w ith th e b e st intentions. Money to rep air shoes a n d hospital su p p lies were also se n t to th ese m en. In A ugust 1917, th e C haplain of th e “7 th ” m et w ith Mr. Mills to estab lish a social c en ter a t C am p S heridan in A labam a. The C h a p lain ’s slogan, “Hello Bob, how goes it old m a n ,” w as to greet each soldier on en tering th e social center. The p la n s were for a player piano, E dison m achine, m oving p ictures, gam es, free stationary, a n d athletic equipm ent. M arietta’s sh are in th is project w as $1,500, a n d in a few w eeks’ tim e th e m oney w as collected. The M erch an ts A ssociation in M arietta also helped by collecting p h onograph records a n d rolls for th e player piano to be sen t to the social c en ter in A labam a. The Com fort Kit C om m ittee w orked to fill th e 200 com fort kits m ade by the ladies in th e sewing room. V arious w om en’s groups w ould d onate m oney for th e item s in th e bags. These kits co n tain ed th e sm all b u t n ecessary item s to provide som e daily com forts. The Com m ittee for C h ristm as Parcels for m en an d wom en overseas packed a n d se n t 668 gifts. As one new spaper article noted, th e gifts h a d been se n t to The Tallow Light, Vol. 48, No. 3 RID CROSS C A SH IS REAL HUMMER Newspaper headline; M arietta Daily Times, S eptem ber 4, 1917 th e “boys in k h ak i a n d th e girls w ith red crosses on th eir foreheads.” The C om m ittee for C onservation of F ruit Pits a n d N ut Shells collected large q u a n titie s of p its a n d shells to be sen t on for th e m aking of gas m ask s, a lifesaving device for soldiers a g ain st the G erm an gas a ttac k s. Activated charcoal w as th e m ain com ponent in a gas m ask can ister, b u t th ere w as a shortage. F ru it p its a n d n u t shells could be b u rn e d slowly in a controlled m a n n e r an d provided a source of activated charcoal. The problem w as th a t it took 200 fruit pits a n d two p o u n d s of n u t shells for ju s t one gas m a sk canister. B ut, the “DO YOUR BIT, SAVE THE PIT” cam paign w as on. H om e service C harles S trecker w as th e c h airm an of the Com m ittee for Home Service. This com m ittee, organized in O ctober of 1917, w as responsible for assistin g soldiers, sailors, ex-service m en, an d th eir fam ilies in every possible way. 65 L etters explaining the w ork of th e Home Service were se n t to all fam ilies of m en a n d w om en in the service a n d to the fam ilies of th ose drafted, b u t no t yet called. There were also p o sters, weekly articles in th e county new spapers, an d ta lk s given by com m ittee m em bers so th a t all th e fam ilies were aw are of the services provided. A catalog of all m en enlisted, a h isto ry of each, a n d h is family w as com piled a n d th en th is w as u se d to e n su re th a t th e family of every soldier w as cared for in a n em ergency. There were volunteer Home Service V isitors in th e various tow ns in the county available to come to a hom e in need at all h o u rs. If a family desired to com m unicate w ith th eir soldier, a Home Service w orker could c o n tact the Red C ross person in the cam p or regim ent the soldier w as located. Home Service provided financial a ssista n ce , a u to s for help w ith tran sp o rta tio n , an d volunteer law yers for legal problem s, am ong other needs. The com m ittee m et weekly. Home Service V isitors w ould report on th eir cases and th en ap p ro p riate action w as decided by th e m em bers of th e com m ittee. The Home Service office w as set u p in the Armory a n d w as open two m ornings a week. B ut th e calls for help from fam ilies w as so great th a t a sten o g rap h er w as hired to help with correspondence. By O ctober 1918, Home Service h a d a ssiste d 217 families. After the signing of the Arm istice in November 1918 a n d the re tu rn of 66 soldiers, th e need s were even greater. An em ploym ent service w as set u p for the retu rn in g soldiers. Betw een O ctober 1918 a n d O ctober 1919 th ere were 3,761 fam ilies served. The services available from th e Home Service office were widely advertised, b u t th e services received by soldiers a n d th eir fam ilies were confidential, so those records are no t available for research. The W ashington C ounty Red C ross organized a Victory Parade in M arietta on April 12, 1919. L unches were served to 1,800 m en, su p p e r to 600, a n d the food w as all donated. The m en u w as m eat sandw iches, h a rd boiled eggs, pickles, d o n u ts an d cake, chocolate, a n d coffee. The trad itio n of d o n u ts a n d coffee continues. On S aturday, O ctober 21, 2017, on th e g ro u n d s of the Armory, there will be a n event, “For Victory, W ashington C ounty in World W ar 1.” Armory Square, The C astle, the Red C ross, The Salvation Army, a n d The A m erican Legion are all involved in th is celebration of our history. This fun a n d educational event is for fam ilies. There will be ree n ac tm e n ts of th e heroic effort W ashington C ounty p u t forth d u rin g the G reat W ar, a celebration of our patriotism an d generosity tow ard w inning th e w ar a n d su p p o rtin g ou r soldiers. There will be d o n u ts, an d a C anteen tru c k an d lots m ore. So be on the lookout for m ore inform ation on th is exciting event on th e g ro u n d s of the Armory in M arietta, Ohio. □ The Tallow Light', Vol. 48, No. 3 A uthor’s n o te T h an k you to Linda Show alter w ith M arietta College Special Collections, J a n e T u m as-S ern a w ith The Armory, Glen Wolfe, Kyle Yoho w ith The C astle, a n d all those who sh a red w ith m e th eir love of local history a n d in so doing helped w ith the resea rch of th is topic. Sou rces d a ta .u n .o rg Davidson, H enry P. The Am erican R ed Cross in the Great War. New York. The M acm illan Co. 1919. Delano, J a n e A. The Am erican R ed Cross Textbook on Home Care o f the Sick. Philadelphia. P .B lankeston’s Son 85 Co., 1910. D ulles, F oster Rhea. The American R ed Cross: A History. New York. H arper 8s B rothers, 1950. Lynch, Major C harles. American R ed Cross Abridged Text-book on First Aid, W om an’s Edition: A M anual o f Instruction. Philadelphia. P. B lan k esto n ’s Son 8& Co. 1913. M iddlesw art, Bell. H istory o f the W ashington County, Ohio, C h ap ter Am erican Red C ross, April 10, 1917 - April 10, 1927. (Paper p rep ared by req u e st of W om en’s C entennial A ssociation a n d read, in p art, before th a t organization, in com m em oration of th e te n th an n iv ersary of the W ashington C ounty C h ap ter of th e Am erican Red C ross, April 10, 1927.) Marietta College Record. J a n u a ry 1918 Marietta Daily Journal. May 15, J u n e 23, J u ly 27, 1917 Marietta Daily Times. April 9, May 14, May 17, May 18, J u n e 1, J u n e 6, J u n e 30, A ugust 3, A ugust 31, Septem ber 4, S eptem ber 21, O ctober 10, November 21, 1917 S a n d u sk y Daily Register. J u ly 16, 1915 S u n d a y Morning Observer. O ctober 13, O ctober 27, 1918 The Register-Leader. J a n u a ry 4, 1918 w w w .ancestiy.com w w w .redcross.org w w w .w w lonline.org The Tallow Light; Vol. 48, No. 3 67 Copyright of Tallow Light is the property of Washington County, Ohio Historical Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. The Red Cross comes of age... The mission continues... A Century of Service to Illinois (1917-2017) + American discovered that it was enough to garner the notice of the National Red Cross Society and a personal any readers will be famil­ letter was received that encouraged iar with the story of Clara the group to form a chapter. In Barton and the founding February the petition was sent off of the Red Cross in America. and by March 30, 1917, :he Likewise, most readers will be Springfield Chapter, having com­ familiar with our contemporary plied with all of the specifications American Red Cross as seen on from Washington, was dec.ared The Weather Channel or other duly organized. Only one month major network during a severe later the membership had grown to storm, or even in your own backyard 7000 and, in total would be respon­ when a neighbor or loved one needs sible for the organization of 25 help. The Red Cross we know today branches, 43 auxiliaries, and the still proudly serves our citizenry, the establishment of a permanent head­ U.S. military, and more as it has since its inception in 1881. What I quarters/ office. Beginning in May of 1917 hope some of you will want to learn the Sangamon County Chapter of more about is the fact that the Red the ARC (re-named in the fall of Cross didn’t really “come of age" in 1917) sent 768,670 tota. articles to Illinois until the pivotal World War I the front lines and just ever years. During this period a large $52,000 in items such as thread, number of the Red Cross Chapters yarn, gauze, cotton, etc. through formed in Illinois and are currently February of 1919. In addition, celebrating a century of service in 2017 —talk about “coming of age”! the Sangamon County Chapter started not just one but :wo In this space, we have the opportu­ war funds —the first totaling nity to briefly examine the impor­ The American Red Cross’s (ARC) origins in $90,979.71 while the second tant foundational step(s) forward central Illinois date hack to the beginnings taken by the organization during totaled $132,962.37! This story o f the U.S.’s involvement in WWI. The WWI and how although some would have been familiar to the Sangamon County first field response was things have changed, the mission of other ARC chapters across the to a tornado that struck Charleston and state, who also responded in kind. the Red Cross remains true and will Mattoon on May 26, 1917. The first response cf :he newly continue on for the next 100 years. formed Sangamon Countv Chapter In 1914 there were 107 chap­ community receiving its charter played was to a tornado that hit Charleston/ ters recognized by the National out over and over throughout the American Red Cross. By 1918 there Mattoon on May 26, 1917 This was country and this state. One such story the first response of the Charleston/ were 3,864 chapters across the took place in the State Capitol of country, which equated to more than Mattoon area chapter as well. It strikes Springfield. one-third of the American population me that 100 years have gone by yet becoming registered. American donors that first response was no different ot tar from Lincoln’s Home in gave over $400 million in 1917 and than one of our last big tornado August of 1916a small group responses - the November 2013 torna­ 1918 alone. This national trend was met at the home of Mrs. experienced in Illinois too. As early as dos in Illinois. Red Cross vo unteers William T. Lewis and began the from our local as well as our global 1915, there had been a chapter formed process of acquiring support for the in Chicago. However, the explosive communities came together to help Red Cross. The group successfully col­ those citizens impacted by disaster. growth of chapters throughout the lected 1,300 names ($1 per person) state mainly occurred in 1917. Then and now the heart o: our organi­ and sent a $1300 check to the Red zation and mission are the volunteers Throughout this century there have Cross in Washington, D.C. While this been as many as 96 chapters of the who make it possible. The Fed Cross may not seem like a large sum, volun­ Red Cross in Illinois. The story of a runs on volunteers. More :han 90 teer researchers in the chapter have By Bryan Soady M n; 121 I l l i no i s H eri tage U.S. Military when needed. We still provide Health & Safety education through our first aid and CPR/AED classes. Although the curriculum and the delivery of services may have changed over the years —the mission continues. 100 years later, the "Sangamon County Chapter” has become the American Red Cross Serving South Central Illinois and covers 43 counties while serving more than one million people. Although the lines could change again in the next century to better serve our population; I’m confident the mission, the founding principles and the volunteers who make the Red Cross mission come to life every day - will still be exactly where they are needed when they are needed. If you are interested in more Red Cross history in Illinois please consider visiting the “chapter museum” in Springfield by appointment - Call 217/787-7602 and ask for Frank. / 1 Think what you can afford to give —then double it ■ A life ■ I may depend on it I I -do you dare do less? I Btyan Soady is the Executive Director of the American Red Cross, Central Illinois Chapter. A portion of this paper was presented at the 2011 Illinois Histoyy Symposium, "1917, Year of Turmoil: War and Suffrage." All of the R ed Cross War Fund goes for War Relief The Sangamon County Chapter of the ARC raised more than $200,000 (about $1.2 million today) in funds to support the troops in WWI. percent of the Red Cross workforce today is volunteers. There are nearly as many ways to volunteer for the Red Cross as there are professions to choose frcm in the world. During those early WWI years, the American Rec Cross provided the military with two primary services, “Home Service" and “Production Corps". Home Services provided aid to the families of military service personnel and provided communication between troops and their families. By the end of the war it was estimated that 50,000 volunteers in nearly 3,600 chapters serving 10,000 American communities had assisted 500,000 dependent families! The 'Production Corps" was responsible for the production cf garments, surgical dressings, and other medical supplies, covifon kits (emphasis added) and other like items. In this job the entire country seemingly got involved as there was. an estimated 8 million volunteers (including Junior Red Cross members) who produced more than 372 million relief articles wirh an estimated value of $94 million! RED CROSS IAIR! TOR AV %JUini I U U H I N °n E L Dser v ic e REQUIRED OF MEMBERS he Red Cross doesn’t focus on making surgical dress­ ings or bandages anymore these days however they co still distribute “comfort kits" (new ‘clean-up kits" too), provide emergency communication ;o military person­ nel and aid to the families of those we serve through programs Today the Sangamon County Chapter of ARC serves like "Get to know us before you need us”. We collect and south central Illinois, from Peoria to the tip of distribute more than 40 percent of the nation’s olood supply southern Illinois. and serve as the secondary supplier of blood oroducts to :he T Membership Dues $1.00 Up — I ,., I .,..— ...... I l l i noi s H eri tage -113 Copyright of Illinois Heritage is the property of Illinois State Historical Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. Running head: OUTLINE OF CLARA BARTON Outline of Clara Barton CSU HY 1110 Date: 11/06/2017 1 OUTLINE OF CLARA BARTON 2 1. Birth and childhood 1. Clara Barton was also known as Clarissa Harlowe Barton was born on December 25, 1821, in Oxford, U.S 2. She developed an interest in service for others when she attended to her brother after an accident during her teenage (Kimball, 201.) 2. Work 1. Clara Barton became a teacher at the age of 15 years and opened a free public school in New Jersey in 1836 2. In the mid-1850’s she moved to Washington to work as a clerk in the U.S. patent office 3. She later worked an independent nurse during the civil war in 1862, in Fredricksburg, Virginia (Kimball, 2016). 4. After the end of the war, she worked for the war department with a role of uniting the soldiers with their families, finding more about the missing soldiers, nursing the wounded and even cooking for them. 5. In 1864, she was appointed as the superintendent of nurses for the army of James 6. Later in 1869-1870 while visiting Europe Franco-German war broke out and she works for a relief organization known as international Red Cross to distribute relief supplies to the war victims (Kimball, 2016). 3. “Angel of battlefield” 1. Barton was nicknamed “angel of the battlefield” because of her role of nursing wounded soldiers during the civil war by going in person to the battlefields (Kimball, 2016). 4. Founding of American Red Cross OUTLINE OF CLARA BARTON 3 1. After visiting Europe and working for the international red cross organization in 18701871, she later returned to united states and that is when she starting lobbying for an American branch of the international red cross. 2. In 1881, the American Red Cross was founded and Barton became the first president of the organization (Owens, 2014). 3. When he was the president of American Red Cross is when victims of disasters like Johnstown flood and in 1889 and Galveston flood were assisted. By the relief work 5. Clara Barton played the biggest role in the society at the time 1. Advocating for education reforms 2. Prison reforms 3. Women rights to participate in politics 4. Civil right 5. Spiritualism 1. Clara Barton place in society 2. Clara is remembered as a symbol of compassion and resourcefulness during the crisis for sacrificing to go to the battlefield to take care of the soldiers and attending to her brother after an accident in her teenage (Owens, 2014). 3. She also believed in education for all that she ended up establishing the first public school in the United States 4. She was focused and a pillar of hope to womanhood and a role model after becoming a teacher at the age of 15 years. 6. Legacy and significance of Clara Barton 1. She has been recognized by many authors who have published books about her life OUTLINE OF CLARA BARTON 4 2. She was awarded national and international honor for working with the soldiers 3. During her work, she received many gifts and honors from world leaders, presidents and even generals for her humanitarian work (Owens, 2014). 4. She is to date honored by the Clara Barton society by becoming a member and honoring her and recognizing the donors who support the local Red Cross (Owens, 2014). 7. Resignation from the American red cross 1. Clara resigned as the president of American Red Cross in 1904 due to criticism of her management style and old age. She resigned at the age of 83 years. Clara’s Brief Narrative Clara was also a skilled speaker who moved her crowd to tears by narrating her experience on the battlefield. After resignation, she formed an organization which was known as national first aid association of America which was training people on basic first aid instructions, emergency preparedness, and also used to distribute the first aid kits (Owens, 2014). She passed away on April 12, 1912, at her home in Glen Echo, Maryland at the age of 91 years Nevertheless, her commitment to humanitarian activities has made her a household name and a symbol of charitable and sacrifices in the American history (Kimball, 2016) OUTLINE OF CLARA BARTON 5 Bibliography Kimball, D. (2016). Clara Barton, Humanitarian, and Founder of the American Red Cross. Retrieved from http://www.amazingwomeninhistory.com/clara-barton-american-redcross-founder/ Owens, P. A. (2014). The American Red Cross from Clara Barton to the New Deal by Marian Moser Jones. Civil War History, 60(3), 360-362. doi:10.1353/cwh.2014.0069 
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