The Vidette-Messenger Centennial EditionThe 1936 special edition celebrating Porter County's centennial year . . . .
The following article has been transcribed from the August 18, 1936, issue of The Vidette-Messenger, published in Valparaiso, Indiana. This particular special edition focuses on Porter County's centennial celebration and contains a 94-page compendium of Porter County history up to that time.
Return to the index of articles from The Vidette-Messenger's Porter County Centennial special edition.
Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso,
Porter County, Indiana; August 18, 1936; Volume 10, Section 4, Pages 11-12.
PORTER COUNTY PLAYED PART IN ALL OF NATION'S WARS
From Earliest Days Sons of Porter County Volunteered For Service With Old Glory
WORLD WAR
The World War
-- most terrible conflict since time began -- engulfed the greater part of the
civilized world in August, 1914. In April, 1917, America entered the conflict on
the side of the Allies, and in November, 1918 hostilities ceased. Four years and
three months of constant warfare had inflicted a tremendous toll of lives,
running into the millions, and had left a scar on the face of the globe which
endless time can never erase.
Into the cauldron of death called the Western Front, America sent millions of
young men, thousands of whom rest today beneath the poppies of Flander's fields.
Porter county played a definite part in the battering of the Entente into
submission. More than 2,000 men and women of the county entered the service, and
scores were killed in action or died of wounds in France, or met death in Army
cantonments in this country during the pestilence of influenza which crept over
the nation in 1918.
During the early part of 1917, when it appeared as though America would become
involved in the war, patriotic citizens of Porter county began to give
consideration to the party they would have to play. At a meeting of the
Valparaiso Student Council held in Student Hall, Valparaiso university, April 3,
1917, the loyal support of the students were pledged to the president and a
telegram to that effect was sent on April 4, 1917, to President Wilson.
Patriotic enthusiasm was high and a parade of three thousand students was held
on April 4, led by Mayor P. L. Sisson, Judge E. D. Crumpacker, Dean M. J.
Bowman, and Prof. S. C. Hoover, all of whom gave patriotic talks at the court
house square. Students sang "My Country 'Tis of Three," and "The Star Spangled
Banner" and patriotism reached a fever beat.
On April 6, the Valparaiso Chamber of Commerce at the request of Governor
Goodrich issued a call through its acting president, Edmund J. Freund, for a
meeting of farmers, stock breeders, grain dealers, fruit growers, bankers and
others interested, to arrange for organized effort for greater food production
and conservation of food supplies in Indiana. Speakers at one meeting were Prof.
Earl Price, W. E. Pinney, C. W. Benton, George C. Gregg, A. J. Bowser and Prof.
James Kilne, and plans were formulated for carrying out necessary conservation
policies.
After war was declared there was a universal demand for a patriotic
demonstration throughout the country and early in May a monster parade with four
thousand persons participating was held in Valparaiso. It was the county's
mightiest spectacle of pageants and was led by the Valparaiso band.
Organizations participating were Women's Relief Corps and G. A. R.; Apollo Club
and its Red Cross Division ambulance; Company L, Indiana National Guard; Boy
Scouts, Phoenix Club, members of the Red Cross; store employes and clerks;
employes of Specht-Finney company with the largest American flag in Indiana;
pupils of the Gardner, Columbia and Central schools; the Valparaiso university
student body, 1,000 strong, with the university band, and over 100 automobiles
containing citizens and delegations from various organizations who were unable
to participate in body. The Methodist church was crowded to capacity following
the parade to hear the orator of the day, John Maynard Harlan.
The exercises at the church opened with the invocation by Rev. Thomas F.
Williams, who followed by the choir under the direstion of Prof. O. E. Waver,
singing "Columbia the Gem of the Ocean," and other patriotic airs. Mayor Sisson
made a talk on this country's entrance into the war and the duties and
responsibilities of the citizens of Porter county. Mr. Harlan thrilled the
audience with his patriotic utterances.
On May 27 a flag raising by the Porter county employes of the Pennsylvania
railroad was held at the court house and Rev. C. W. Baer pastor of Immanuel
Lutheran church, made the principal address.
Company L, Indiana National Guard, under the command of Captain Ernest W.
Thralls, was Porter county's home unit in the great drama. Hundreds of other
Porter county men, however, served in nearly as many different outfits in
France, Germany, Russia and throughout the far-flung battle lines of the great
war. Porter county men also saw service in the United States marines, in the air
service, as ambulance drivers, as welfare and hospital workers, and in scores of
other occupations which went to make up the nation's complex wartime
organization.
Hundreds upon hundreds of Porter county men were chosen for service under the
provisions of the selective draft act. On April 30, Governor Goodrich appointed
Sheriff William B. Forney, County Clerk Gust Bornholt and Henry Kinsey Brown as
the conscription board for Porter county. Early in May it was announced that
Governor Goodrich had appointed George F. Beach, Joseph L. Doyle and Dr. H. E.
Cowland to take over the duties of the exemption board. Two thousand and twenty
young men were registered from Porter county by the draft board under the
conscription call. Center township, in which Valparaiso is located, furnished
834 men, and of this number Valparaiso furnished 735.
Months before that fateful April day in 1917 when congress declared a state of
war to exist between this country and Germany, the United States had been
preparing for the inevitable struggle. The nation had realized that Germany's
program of unrestricted submarine warfare was bound to lead American into war.
On June 5, a parade of all young men of conscription age, Company L, Indiana
National Guard and the Boy Scouts was held in Valparaiso, the committee in
charge being Mayor P. L. Sisson, Charles Wark and E. J. Freund. The young men
received an ovation and were cheered along the line of march. Four hundred and
eighty-three were drawn on the first call for the National Army and of this
number 119 left for Camp Custer on August 26 for enrollment.
Valparaiso was given a touch of military life when Valparaiso university
authorities signed a contract with the government for the training of soldiers
in various vocations, principally automotive mechanics and driving. Upwards of
1,200 men were sent here for this training. A number of barracks were
constructed on the university grounds at Brown Field for the housing of the men.
The camp proved of considerable interest to the citizens who were given plenty
of entertainment by the boys who maintained a fine band, a football team and
conducted prize fighting contests from time to time. On patriotic and other
occasions the soldiers took a prominent part. Highways throughout the county
were used by the men in the training of automobile drivers. At many
intersections signs were erected with French names. Herman Schierich was
commander of the camp, which was known as Valparaiso University Training
Detachment.
On several occasions premature news that the armistice had been signed caused
Valparaiso citizens to celebrate. The soldiers from the university also came
down enmasse and took part. Finally when authentic news was received the
celebration eclipsed any ever held here. Many of the rural districts also joined
in the jubilation.
And while men and women of Porter county were serving overseas, a patriotic
citizenry "kept the home fires burning."
Four times Porter citizens over-subscribed liberty bond quotas, buying a total
of $1,936,500 in bonds as compared with a community total of $1,793,230.
In addition Porter county citizens contributed their mite to various relief
agencies. A drive for funds for the Y. M. C. A. in November, 1917, resulted in
total subscriptions of $9,232.15. In June, 1917, the Porter County Red Cross,
which had been asked to contribute $10,000, raised $20,852.29. In May, 1918, a
second drive with a quota of $10,000, raised $22,000. Drives by the Knights of
Columbus and Salvation Army both resulted in over-subscriptions.
While the war was on, a movement was started throughout Indiana to form
companies of Home Guards. A company was organized in Valparaiso with Rev. John
Newsom as captain; W. W. Bozrath, first lieutenant, and Roy Pierce, second
lieutenant. The roster of the company contained the names of many of the leading
citizens of Valparaiso.
Shortly after the war was declared Judge H. H. Loring, of Porter circuit court,
appointed A. N. Worstell, J. D. Stoner, E. L. Morgan, Charles Marshall, George
C. Gregg, H. W. Abbott and Mrs. Maude N. Johnson as Porter county's council of
defense.
Before American entered the war women of the county aided in the humanitarian
task of preparing bandages for the soldiers of the Allies. Mrs. J. W. Williams
was chairman of the committee on hospital supplies, and Miss Myra Pinney was in
charge of the class making surgical dressings.
During the war, Porter county people were reminded time and time again that
"food will win the war." Charles Link of Valparaiso, was food administrator
during the war period. He was assisted by E. J. Van Alter, train-master on the
Valparaiso and Northern railroad. Particularly in the early stages of the war
Food Administrator Link was obliged to issue repeated warnings to hoarders and
war profiteers, and at times the law had to be invoked to successfully enforce
the food administration laws.
Sugar was sold in one and two pound lots at times, and various substitutes were
used instead of flour. There were "meatless" days and "gasoline" days. Several
instances were recorded of where motorists who took their cars out on Sundays
had them smeared with yellow paint.
All in all, every patriotic Porter county man and woman did his or her part to
achieve the ultimate victory.
Article transcribed by Steven R. Shook