Above: news advertisements from the Gratiot County Herald and Alma Record from July, 1918.

        During July 1918 some advertisements appeared through the newspapers in ways that they had since the United States entered the Great War (now referred to many as “The World War”).

       The Ithaca Commercial Bank asked people to buy “Baby Bonds” (War Savings Stamps) because “Every member of the family should have a BABY BOND.” The same bank imitated the pressure put on people in 1918 to be loyal Americans: “War Savings Certificates Will Certify Your Patriotism – And Pay You Handsomely.” Other businessmen like H.B. Thompson told people they should buy military watches for their soldier boy because “The hardest item in the Jewelry line to obtain is to get a good Military watch.” People also were asked to “Be Patriotic: Attend the Big Day and Night Fair” at the county fair as a portion of the proceeds of ticket sales would be given to the Red Cross. Then there were advertisements that loudly hammered the theme of doing one’s best in wartime, and then asked individuals to buy the merchants product. The Middleton Farmer’s Elevator shouted to people to “SAVE FOOD” because the United States Food Administrator, Herbert Hoover, urged conservation and self-sacrifice with food products. The elevator had a supply of Number 4 Yellow Corn for sale, and this type could be fed to livestock. C.H. Corwin in Ashley also told readers to “SAVE! SAVE! SAVE! And Help Feed the Allies” by buying groceries and provisions from him. Still other advertisements from the government repeated “Be an American! Enlist in the Marines!”
The county was continually asked to buy war bonds and stamps in July. Known as “Baby Bonds,” War Savings Stamps became the way that all people, regardless of how much money, could support the war effort. Every person in Gratiot County could purchase War Savings Stamps and they were expected to do so. Simon Messinger of Alma tried to encourage 98 boys to buy stamps. If any of them showed a card with three stamps on it, he would provide the fourth, which would eventually be redeemable for one dollar after the war (an increase of 25 cents). Fred Slater, William Rogers and Otto Sanderhoff all purchased an advertisement in the Alma Record entitled “A Call to Every American.” It encouraged people to invest in the five dollar stamp plan. When Alma held another stamp drive in July, employees of Republic Truck Company Plant Number Three purchased over $2000 in stamps. Mrs. F.W. Ruggles, the company owner’s wife, purchased the limit of $1000 worth of stamps. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kuhn also bought a total of $500 in stamps.

       Rationing continued and there seemed to be no end to the warnings by the government that leaner times were here. Gratiot County just needed to prepare and persevere. In Alma, there were attempts to start rabbit clubs in order to provide extra meat for families. Boys and girls from ages ten eighteen were invited to participate. War time recipes involved what could be done with cottage cheese dishes. Egg candling was required for anyone selling eggs by the case. Wheat harvest was imminent and already people were being told how to use whole wheat flour in efficient ways. Macaroni, noodles, spaghetti and many wheat breakfast foods all contained wheat, therefore as one advertisement read “SAVE WHEAT – EAT POTATOES – EAT OTHER CEREALS.” Dr. J.H. Kellogg from the Battle Creek Sanitarium even tried to convince the public that “There is no necessity for eating wheat at all.” Kellogg recommended a total meatless diet and encouraged using more peanuts and soy beans. He also argued that using more corn with milk would be a great substitute in the diet. New sugar rulings took effect starting July 1 and one could not buy more than three pounds of sugar per month and grocers could have no more than a thirty day supply on hand at any time. Those who still had a sweet tooth for cake were told by the government that wheat flour substitutes could be used to make barley sponge cake, corn (flour) sponge cake, oat sponge cake, spice cake -and even chocolate cake – with barley. Other conservation that summer came when elevators across the county announced that grain bags would no longer be loaned to farmers. An impending gas shortage seemed to be on the horizon. Drivers were urged to drive at an “economical speed” of 12 to 20 miles per hour. Running a car while it sat idling was frowned upon and maintaining brakes, oil and tires helped a car to be most efficient. Hard coal was going to be in short supply for the upcoming winter and people were urged to buy and save coal now. Also, starting July 29 lightless nights would be in effect on Monday and Tuesday nights in the county in order to conserve fuel.

        The Red Cross continued its work in the county, especially by encouraging support for a membership drive. Two benefits were held in Alma. One of these, the Artists’ Red Cross concert, was held at the high school and raised $300. At the Ruggles home in Alma, those who attended the benefit there found electric lights draped across the large lawn. Morton’s saxophone orchestra provided music for dancing for those who came to support the Red Cross. The Red Cross also had a large parade in Alma in mid-July. As a band made up of locals led the way, a group of 35 ladies followed in the shape of a large Red Cross. Then came the Alma branch of the Red Cross, followed by high school cadets and Michigan State Troop Company 87. When the parade finished there was a stand set up at the corner of State and Superior streets for speakers to address the crowd about donating, pledging and supporting the organization. Still, the Red Cross was active in many other parts of Gratiot County. The New Haven Red Cross chapter had 31 ladies present at its regular July meeting. The group completed work on hospital jackets, socks, quilts and waist clothes. During that month, the chapter added ten senior and three junior members. Readers of local newspapers also saw more and more drawings and images that showed the important role that the Red Cross had in the war effort.

         For a while, the county newspapers continued to focus on the status of soldiers who were still going off to war via the draft. Those who enlisted on their own found their names on the front page of the newspaper, such as six Alma men who had done so voluntarily (Clifford Link, Theodore Snydes, Elmer Markham, Russell Burrows, Elton Durkee, and Anthony Trendell). Then there was the story of Francis Zone of Lansing, a deserter, who was caught at the Alma Post Office. Zone skipped his final examination in Grand Rapids and was discovered in Alma. Sixty-four men were called for duty to Camp Custer on July 25, however, the number requested from Camp Custer was well short of the 190 Class One men that were required. The draft board was looking at the reclassification of some eligible men. There was a list published of 34 men on the Alma Company of Michigan State Troops (Company 87) along with 10 who were reserves. Sometimes when a soldier married a local girl before going off to war the announcement made the news. This happened when Lieutenant Joseph Baldwin married Irene McCall of Ithaca. The wedding was simple and the honeymoon was short, then Baldwin left for Camp Custer to train troops. He was not expected to head to France until October.

        During July, newspapers now started to publish the addresses of soldiers in camps and those who were in France. Families began to turn in the addresses as they learned where there son was located. It was hoped that people would write to Gratiot County’s young men. One of the letters that appeared in the Gratiot County Herald from Sergeant George H. Dolloff simply came from “Somewhere in France.” Dolloff wrote about being able to see over a trench into No Man’s Land into the area belonging to Kaiser Bill. One of the men in his company had just returned from a raiding party and brought back an enemy helmet. Dolloff expected to leave his trenches very soon on similar patrols.

        News reports about area soldiers changed from being informative pieces and letters from young men who were just starting the army life to the horrible reality of war. Clarence Gruesbeck of Hamilton Township was reported as being severely wounded in France in late June. The family awaited details of his condition. Grimmer still were the first stories of Gratiot men who were killed in combat. July was a bloody month as soldiers like Howard Wolverton, Richard Willoughby, Leslie McLean and Orrin Riker all fell in France. For the families and friends of these men the war took the highest possible price, Gratiot County’s youth. Sadly, there would be still more that would die from Gratiot County.

Copyright 2018 James M Goodspeed

Above: Announcement for the Revival Meetings held in Ithaca in July, 1918; George H. Clingenpeel, Evangelist of the meetings; Reverend George W. Lewis, taken in 1943; a very young George W. Lewis taken in 1905.

Author’s note: This month marks the 100th anniversary of the Ithaca Church of God in Ithaca, Michigan. The following is the first in a series of articles about the history of this church, its pastors, events and  some of the people who were used by God to bring this church through its first 100 years.

          It was a time of change and challenges. Ithaca, Michigan in the summer of 1918 was, like other communities across the United States, at war. The United States had been at war against Germany for nearly a year and news of those young men from the area who died in service to their country started to reach Ithaca. That fall, the Flu Epidemic hit the United States and many in Gratiot County became seriously sick and also died. There was also heavy pressure to show one’s patriotism and to support the country during World War I. A postwar recession in 1919 would hit the area that made times tough for people. These were some of the things happening in Ithaca when a small congregation was born that eventually became known as the Ithaca Church of God.
On July 4, 1918 a notice appeared that a revivalist was holding services one block north and one east of the Methodist Church. The first meeting was held in the Revival Tent under the direction of George H. Clingenpeel, a Church of God evangelist from Wheeler Township, who had held similar meetings in Alma. These meetings took place for approximately two weeks. At end of one of the advertisements for the meetings was an almost prophetic phrase that would be one of the legacies of the church through its history in Ithaca: “Everybody Welcome.” The Gratiot County Herald reported, “The Revival meeting in the Gospel tent, is a grand success from the beginning. The crowds are filling the tent each night and are very much interested…Clingenpeel …is a plain speaker, and has something interesting for everyone.” The meetings were so successful in Ithaca that the Herald noted that people even came and listened to the meetings from their automobiles.
Two key events took place after the meetings concluded: land was donated and the first pastor of the church was called. First, William Kennett, a well known resident who was born in England and who lived in Lafayette Township and in Ithaca for most of his life, agreed with his wife to purchase a lot at the corner of St. Johns and Emerson Streets (where the tent meetings had been held). He then donated it to the church. This would be the location of the Ithaca Church of God until 1963.
The second important event dealt with the calling of the first pastor, Reverend George W. Lewis. Lewis was from New Haven Township and his grandfather was instrumental in the creation of the Lewis School, located in Newark Township. Born in 1882, George W. Lewis was converted at age 17 and began active gospel work less than a year later with the Crusaders, a group of evangelistic workers who visited area schools and Sunday schools. In 1905, he became officially ordained in the Church of God ministry and he led the church in the teachings of the Church of God Reformation Movement. Lewis met his future wife, Effie, at the Burlingame School in New Haven Township and they married in 1903. Together they had six children. On November 5, 1919 the family moved to Ithaca and purchased the Frank Shaver property on Shaver Street. He officially became the church’s pastor in 1920. Lewis supported his family by working as an interior decorator, as well as serving as minister for 23 years.
The earliest meetings of the church were held in the homes of Pastor Lewis and Mrs. Chriss Lehner. Others who were drawn to the church also hosted meetings. For example, notices appeared in the newspaper that a group of ladies “were in Newark Tuesday evening to attend a Church of God prayer service at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Bosley.”
In 1920, the first building was built on the corner of Emerson and St. Johns Streets. The building was simply known to many in Ithaca as “The Chapel.” It is also important to note that the young church was almost on the edge of Ithaca at that time, only a few blocks from the city limits. On top of this, the main line churches in Ithaca had been in existence for decades. This was truly going to be a new church. If one wanted to know where the Ithaca church was at that time they were usually told to look for “The Chapel.” As the church started its journey, Reverend Lewis continued to work, raise a family, and to pastor a church. “The Chapel,” as it was originally built, would continue until late into the Great Depression.

Copyright 2018 James M Goodspeed

Above: the only known picture of Paul M.Srodes from the Gratiot County Herald; the Srodes family plot in Ithaca Cemetery; All Wars Memorial in Ithaca.

      There were many young men who eagerly went off to war from Gratiot County and who wanted to do their best. Paul M. Srodes, who was from Ithaca, was one soldier who wanted to fight, but in the end, his own health failed him.

     Born April 28, 1896, in Chicago, Illinois to John and Eunice Srodes, Paul was a telegraph operator before he entered the war. Not much is known about the Srodes family, however, his father came to Ithaca in 1886 and purchased two lots on North Main Street. The nice home there became known to many in Ithaca as “The Srodes Home.”

     Paul Srodes entered Fort Leavenworth in Kansas on December 12, 1917, as a telegraph operator. In January 1918 he wrote home to his family, thanking them for the sweater that they had mailed to him. He now had four sweaters, but he needed them all to combat the cold weather in Kansas. Paul was only in need of more gloves to wear, however, he knew that his family was preparing to send him more.  He also told his mother that his unit was hiking twenty to thirty miles a day in order to practice how to string telegraph wires and set up telegraph posts. His letter ended with a detailed account of the death of fellow soldiers. He wrote, “We buried one of my best friends here Sunday. He died of pneumonia. He and I used to make our beds up together to keep warm. We took another fellow to the depot today, a man from our section of the company. He also died of pneumonia.”  Srodes explained how a funeral march followed the bodies to the train depot, playing songs at the station like “Nearer My God to Thee” as the train pulled out of the station. All of the men stood at parade rest as the bodies departed for their homes. “It is a beautiful site and believe me that band can make wonderful music,” he said in closing.

       Paul Srodes left with his unit, the 5^th Field Artillery Signal Corps, for France in February 1918. He was in France for just about one month when disaster struck – Srodes was diagnosed with tuberculosis. In March 1918 he was sent back to the United States, entering through Ellis Island, then to Baltimore and then to an Army hospital in West Haven, Connecticut. On July 15, Paul Srodes died. He was only 22 years old.

      Newspaper accounts of his death said that several years before the war started, he moved to Colorado and then Arizona to live because he feared he had contracted “consumption.” Over time, Srodes seemingly recovered his health. When the war broke out, Srodes enlisted from Ithaca. One thing that his Fort Leavenworth letter did not tell readers was that he too eventually contracted pneumonia, had recovered and then was sent to France. Did this bout with pneumonia trigger his next encounter with tuberculosis?

       Once Srodes’ body returned to Ithaca it was the first military funeral to take place in the town during the war -and a big funeral it was. The State Troops of Ithaca led the service and the burial service had full military honors. The funeral assembly started at the home of his mother and walked all the way to the Ithaca Methodist Church.  from the Methodist, Baptist and Presbyterian churches all participated in the funeral service. The Gratiot County Herald recorded that at the church “the company of six hundred (people) were permitted to look for the last time on the form of Ithaca’s first sacrifice to the cause of human liberty.” After the conclusion of the service, the Ithaca band led the Bearer Sergeants, which was followed by the funeral car that was decorated with a United States shield and flags of the United States and her allies. Following the funeral, car were the ministers, family and friends, all on foot. Others followed behind this group in their cars.  The procession from the church to the cemetery was a distance of roughly eight city blocks.

      The State Troops and their leaders formed perfect lines around the grave as the body was laid to rest. After the final spoken words and funeral dirge, a firing squad fired three volleys. And then it was over,  Ithaca had buried its first man to die in the Great War.

      Today, all that is left of the story of Paul Srodes is his cemetery marker, two newspaper articles and one very short page in his military burial record about the story of an Ithaca boy who wanted to serve his country and who did the best that he could.

Copyright 2018 James M. Goodspeed

Above: American Protective League newsletter,  and badges. The membership card  belonged to George Herbert Walker from St. Louis, Michigan.

“Why are you not buying more Liberty Bonds or War Savings Stamps? Are you unpatriotic?”

“We had a parade in downtown Ithaca yesterday. Why didn’t you attend?”

“We heard that you think that the German soldiers are better than Americans. Why did you say that?”

“You are from Germany and you have yet to take out your (naturalization) papers. Why has this not been done?”

“You have been reported for hoarding sugar. Do you want to be reported? ”

“Someone has said that you will not sell your grain and our nation is in crisis. We are here to look into this. Do you not understand that this is against the law?”

“We are looking for slackers. Do you know the whereabouts of Joe Smith?”

        Any of the above questions could have been asked of Gratiot County residents during 1918 by a somewhat secret group of men. These men privately kept their eyes and ears open to people during the heart of American involvement in the Great War. They were a part of the American Protective League and there was a unit in Gratiot County.

         Who these men were and what they did is a little-known part of Gratiot County’s  World  War I history. Their work involved “watching” for German spies, subversives, those who complained against the war. They also were aware of those who were critical of President Woodrow Wilson’s governmental wartime policies. Also, anyone who appeared to be lax in unpatriotic behavior like failing to support the country by failing to buy war bonds could have been their target.

         This group, known as the American Protective League (APL), was an organization based in Chicago, Illinois that worked with the United States Department of Justice. In 1917, A.M. Briggs, a wealthy Chicago advertising executive, helped convince the Department of Justice that it needed help watching German spies. The Bureau accepted Briggs’  idea as long as members of the APL understood that their service was to be purely voluntary. The organization was believed to ultimately have 250,000 members in over 600 cities.

        What exactly did these APL members do? In addition to paying for all of their personal expenses, they received no pay. Supposedly, members who were chosen to join an APL unit had to be able to use what the APL deemed to be “good judgment.” Most of the members had been exempt from the draft in 1917-1918 or were too old to serve in the military. Those who were members in 1917 carried a nickel plated badge which cost them fifty cents. In 1918, some of them carried a gold plated badge which cost them three dollars. The organization kept members aware of some of its nationwide activities by publishing a newsletter called “The Spy Glass,” which was published for a nickel or obtained as a yearly subscription for $1.30.

         Today, such an organization may have seemed unbelievable, however, events before and during the war made them appear necessary. One of the key fears that many Americans heard about during the war in the press dealt with the number of German spies that operated in the United States and that there were not enough American agents to observe them. Also, the country had been rocked by the Black Tom Explosion in 1916 in Jersey City, New Jersey. German agents had successfully sabotaged a plant that made American munitions that were being sold to the Allies. After American officially entered the war in April 1917, the focus on Germans as spies and saboteurs increased.

            Probably the biggest impact that the APL had in Gratiot County (and in Michigan) dealt with the organization’s attempts to help crack down on “slackers” or draft dodgers. Being a slacker in 1917-1918 was a serious accusation which meant that men who were eligible to be drafted were avoiding it, either by refusing to answer and turn in draft registration forms, or they were just on the run. These “slackers” often tried to stay mobile and avoided capture by using assumed names. One of the most famous stories in America involving a “slacker” on the run was the story of Grover Cleveland Bergdoll, the wealthy son of a Philadelphia brewer who did not want to serve in the Army. His story of being on the run, teasing the authorities that he could never be caught, and the government’s attempt to catch Bergdoll both entertained and angered readers for several years.

            The government’s attempt to catch “slackers” took the form of “slacker drives” that took place in 1918 in several major cities. American Protective League agents, along with federal, state, and county authorities would try surprise “round ups” at locations where young men were thought to be. On July 11-14, 1918 a major raid took place in Chicago’s Lake Michigan beaches. The group caught 100 “slackers.”  A number of “drives” took place up through June of that year caught 308, 489 “slackers,” or enough for 25 divisions of soldiers. Another key raid took place in New York City in early September that rounded up or questioned 20,000 – 25,000 suspects.

            While these events took place, Gratiot County was a target of a “slacker raid” in late August 1918 on the last day of the Gratiot County Fair.  The APL, county and state police all surrounded the fairgrounds on that afternoon in one large circle and did not allow any young men to leave. APL members then went through the crowd and stopped every man and asked them to show them their registration card. Anyone without a card was arrested and sent to the county jail in Ithaca. In some cases, some of those arrested simply forgot to carry their card and they were held until someone at home brought the card to the jail, then the young man was released. Antony Chowak, Ernest Allen Dunn, and Dewey Wonnacott were three men that were caught who were not registered for the draft. Only Wonnacott was from Gratiot County. The other two men were not Gratiot County residents and happened to be attending the fair.  Each was eventually returned to their respective county to face the draft board.

            The Gratiot APL probably was most active at draft registration meetings when area men came to pick up registration forms in anticipation of the draft. It was readily advertised that help was available at the Alma draft board office in filling out forms. Anyone could ask questions and receive help. These “helpers” were none other than APL members – and most Gratiot men who asked for help may have never known that the APL was in the building.

             APL members also targeted unpatriotic behavior. John Stake, a farmer in Wheeler Township in 1918, came under the focus of the APL when he was accused of hoarding and refusing to sell his wheat. He was also said to be pro-German and he refused to sell his wool clippings from his flock of sheep. The hoarding of things necessary for the war effort, as well as foodstuffs, was taken seriously.

          However, there is still the question of who belonged to the Gratiot County chapter of the American Protective League. Who were they and what did they do? Existing records show that thirteen men were members, but there were probably many more. We do know that the Chief was Clyde E. Pinney of Ithaca. The Assistant Chief was Carl H. Washburn, who was a cashier at the First State Bank in Alma. The group included bank officers, businessmen, a city or county commissioners, a postal carrier and a broker.

        The APL only really operated from late 1917 until the signing of the Armistice in early November. After the war ended, most units had been dissolved by January 1919. Still, there those people in Gratiot County who during the war had interactions with the APL, for either good or ill.

 APL members from Gratiot County included:

Karl R. Adams, from Alma, National Guard Director and a bank officer.

A.J. Davison, from St. Louis, a businessman.

Floyd H. Glass, from Alma, a First Commissioner.

Alexander Garvin, from St. Louis, joined the APL on October 5, 1917.

Lloyd Johnson, age 42, from Alma, a building manager for a gas company.

Earl O. Parker, from Alma.

Clyde E. Pinney, from Ithaca, the Chief of the Gratiot County APL.

Wilbur F. Price, from Alma, a postal carrier.

George Hubert Walker, from St. Louis, age 43, a broker/partner for G. Walker Company. Joined December 4, 1917.

Carl H. Washburn, from Alma, a cashier at First State Bank in Alma, Assistant Chief of the APL. Joined February 2, 1918.

Edgar M. Wood, from Alma.

George V. Wright, from Alma, businessman (furniture and undertaking).

Carl H. Washburn, from Alma, served on World War I Campaign Committee, also treasurer for the YMCA Campaign in 1918, Secretary of Merchants Building Committee.

Copyright 2018 James M Goodspeed

 

 

 

 

Above: The only surviving picture of Clarence B. Perkins from the August 29, 1918 issue of the Alma Record. Also, Perkins’ marker in Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France.

It was the late summer of 1918 before most people in Gratiot County knew of the loss of Clarence Perkins. It turned out in the end that there were reasons for this.

Clarence B. Perkins was said to be from North Star, however, he really was not. Perkins’ story is one that was sometimes repeated throughout the Great War when a county (or even more than one) claimed a fallen soldier as one of their own. Originally, Perkins was from Coleman in Isabella County from which he listed as his home when he joined the Army in 1909.

Perkins was one of seven children born to Joseph and Fannie Perkins. He was born April 11, 1886, in Rowland Township in Isabella County.  Clarence lost his father when he was ten years old. Fannie remained a widow for thirteen years until she married Peter Zimmerman and moved to North Star in Gratiot County.

Perkins’ military service had been a fairly long one before the Great War started. About the time his mother remarried in 1909, Clarence joined the Army in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  From there Clarence went to the Soo for two years, then to the Philippines for four years, and then he spent one year in Alaska. From Alaska, he went to training camp at Plattsburg, New York and then to Camp Green in North Carolina. In April 1918, Perkins left Camp Green for France.

On April 6, 1918, Clarence B. Perkins was killed in action, less than one week into what was called the Battle of Belleau Wood. He had served as a First Sergeant in the 30^th Infantry, 3^rd Division and he was buried in the Aisne-Marne Cemetery in Belleau, France, near where he fell. On his marker, he is listed as having come from California. How this relates to Perkins’ story is unclear. Possibly his service in the Philippines had some connection to once being stationed in California?

Since Perkins was not actually from Gratiot County, and because he had been in the Army in different locations for periods of time, both could be reasons why his death was not reported in Gratiot County until almost two months after he died. Possibly the Army also had a problem trying to find Perkins’ family. Because he had one surviving parent who resided in Gratiot County after his death, she later saw that his name was given to the American Legion for recognition as one of Gratiot’s men who died during the war.

Regardless, Clarence B. Perkins was recognized as the first man from Gratiot County to die in combat in France during the Great War. Clarence B. Perkins, who had served his country in several different places prior to going off to  war, was 32 years of age.

Copyright 2018 James M. Goodspeed

Above: The USS Cyclops. Below: Family plot of Alburtus Cohoon in Alma’s Riverside Cemetery.

    In the early spring of 1918, a Gratiot County father learned that his son had disappeared, along with all of his son’s fellow crewmen.  County newspapers failed to carry the story even though Alburtus Cohoon,  the son of an Alma farmer, was involved in what is termed the single largest loss of life in United States naval history in which there was no direct involvement in combat.

        Alburtus Cohoon, who was born October 7, 1896, grew up as the youngest of five children. His mother passed away when he was only three years old and he was fifteen when his father remarried. In 1910, his father was living and farming in Pine River Township.

     From there, Cohoon’s story about his service in World War I ultimately ended in his death.  When he enlisted in the United States Navy in Cincinnati, Ohio on April 17, 1917, his records stated that he was five feet, seven inches tall. He weighed 132 pounds, had blue eyes, brown hair, and a ruddy complexion. He listed his trade as having been a pipe fitter.

     He was then sent to the USS Cyclops, where he eventually became a Fireman, 2^nd Class. The Cyclops was one of four Proteus-class collier ships that the United States had in service. Colliers transported heavy loads, in this case, it was manganese ore. The Cyclops left Rio de Janeiro on February 16, 1918, with a full load, then stopped two days later in Salvador and headed for Baltimore, Maryland as its final destination. When the Cyclops stopped in Barbados it was noted that the ship had over 11,000 tons of manganese ore on board and that the ship sat below its waterline, indicating that it was overloaded. After it left Barbados the ship was never heard from again. On board was a crew of 306 men, including Alburtus Cohoon.

     After two days without any contact, the Navy became concerned. Another ship thought it saw the Cyclops off the East Coast of the United States, but in the end, it was determined that this was not true. Where was the ship? After three months, on June 1, 1918, Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt declared that the ship was lost at sea, along with its crew.  On county records, the date of Cohoon’s death was declared to be March 4, 1918. To this day no one knows for sure what happened to the ship and its crew. Some have conjectured that the ship sank due to structural failure because it was overloaded. Others have noted that it was another ship lost in the infamous “Bermuda Triangle.”

      Little is left behind to tell about Alburtus Cohoon after his death. In April, his brother in Owosso received a letter  on April 19, 1918, telling him that the ship was overdue and that “Her disappearance cannot be logically accounted for in any way as no bad weather conditions or activities of enemy raiders have been reported in her vicinity of her route.” Fred Cohoon also received his brother’s insurance policy from the War Risk Insurance Bureau. In 1930, Alburtus Cohoon’s stepmother was asked by the government if she wanted to travel to Europe as a Gold Star Mother to visit her son’s grave. However, there was no grave to go to and apparently the government did not understand that.  It appears that Mrs. Cohoon never replied. Today, a family burial plot for the Cohoon family exists in Alma’s Riverside Cemetery, but without any indication of the fate of the young man who was a part of the largest loss of life in naval history during World War I and its largest unsolved mystery.

      All that exists today is a name on the Gratiot County All Wars Memorial in Ithaca, about the young man who lost his life March 1918. Alburtus S. Cohoon was only 21 years old.

Copyright 2018 James M Goodspeed

Above: Advertisements from the Alma Record and Gratiot County Herald during June 1918.

     On the eve that many Gratiot County men went into combat in France life at home centered around showing how patriotic people were.

     During early June 1918 twenty-five boys weeded beets on the farm of Arthur Gibbs, just east of Ithaca. Any farmer who wanted help on his farm only needed to contact L.A. Murdick, who was the county’s YMCA secretary. Murdick helped any farmers to locate young people as workers. The Crandall and Scott business in downtown Alma displayed a new show rug in its window. This “liberty rug” had images woven into it from all of the Allied Powers at war, as well as the Statue of Liberty, the Capitol, and Independence Hall. The rug was admired by many viewers. Miss Lou Florence Olp, a former Alma resident and one of Saginaw’s finest piano players, was headed to France to serve as a volunteer for the YMCA. A new call went out from the government warning “alien women enemies,” German women who were not legally citizens, to register at the Ithaca post office. This applied to women from the age of fourteen and older who were born in Germany had unnaturalized German parents, or who were  Americans and had married an unnaturalized German. Two weeks after the announcement not one single person had registered – and there was no evidence that anyone in Gratiot County did in June. The Alma Red Cross had six sewing machines in operation but it needed more help to keep them going all of the time. Local post offices informed people who were sending weekly and monthly magazines to soldiers needed to only send current issues. Too many people were leaving old periodicals there that were of little value to soldiers. The Gratiot County Herald had service buttons for people in Ithaca who were family members of men in the service.

     During June, the government urged everyone to buy War Savings Stamps. Everywhere in the county people were encouraged to “Paste the Kaiser with WSS (War Savings Stamps).” A new WSS saying could be heard: “Every quarter that you get, buy a stamp and make it wet, Stick it to a little card, it will hit the Kaiser hard.” Down at Middleton, Principal Miss Bertha Hoxie told the Gratiot County Herald that the school had students in Mrs. McCarthy’s room raised $190.00 in stamps and bonds. Miss Vera Martin’s class gave $750.00. Two other teachers and other students of the Middleton schools raised $1,475.00  for the war effort. President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that June 28 would be National War Savings Day and that Michigan needed to raise its full quota of $70,000,000. Gratiot County’s new goal was to raise $497,200. Area ministers were asked to read a message from the President to their congregation explaining the need to support “The Big Drive.” Patriotic citizens needed to support the government by purchasing War Savings Stamps and Liberty Bonds by that date. Citizens also were urged to practice economy and thrift and not to spend their money thoughtlessly or needlessly, so that they could buy stamps and bonds.  Advertisements in the newspapers reminded that all of those who purchased $4.17 worth of stamps each month could be redeem them for $5.00 on January 1, 1923. People were asked to “Prove Your Patriotism” and be a “True Blue Patriot” on June 28 and to step up and buy the stamps.

     The fight over wasting and conserving food continued. Eating places like hotels and restaurants could not serve beef more than twice a week, one time each for beefsteak and roast beef. More pork could be available to supplement the meals, as well as beans, bacon, ham, and sausage. Michigan Governor Albert Sleeper endorsed the use of potato bread in place of wheat bread. Using Michigan potatoes demonstrated patriotism and support for the war, and Michigan still had much left over from its 1917 harvest. The use of “combination substitutes” was also promoted for different recipes for muffins which included either buckwheat, barley, or rolled oats. Women were told in advertisements that “Wheat Will Halt the German Drive” in June and everyone needed to pitch in. There was also a movement for “The War Garden Army” which hoped to enlist five million boys and girls and forty thousand teachers to help turn any vacant garden or back lot into a “War Garden” to produce more food that summer. By late June, at least 16 groups had formed in Gratiot County. People were also urged to raise chickens for food. Two to three hens for each person in a household would produce enough eggs for the family. Those who sold eggs at retail had to make sure that the eggs had been candled and boxes had to have candling certificates to prevent the selling of eggs that were unfit for consumption. Sugar was expected to be available to people for the next two to three months. However, the government planned that each person would consume no more than three-fourths of a pound per week. Those families who lived in town could obtain two pounds per week; those in the country were sold five pounds.

     Increasing pressure was being placed on people throughout Gratiot County to demonstrate how patriotic they really were – even beyond buying bonds, donating money and conserving food. At the Ithaca Methodist Church, a crowd of 500 people came to hear about the atrocities committed by the Germans against Serbians and Belgians. Over $250.00 in donations and pledges were made to the American French-Serbian Field Hospital. Both Ithaca and Alma held a community “Patriotic Celebration” on the Fourth of July. At Ithaca’s Woodland Park, Ladies of the Eastern Star and the Gratiot County Guard Troop had an encampment which recreated a mock battle, held a marksmanship contest, played a baseball game, offered a band concert, and held a parade of patriotic floats. The public was asked to come and bring a picnic lunch (with enough food to also feed one soldier). Free ice cream and coffee was provided. Other things were also asked of Gratiot’s Citizens pertaining to their patriotism. On July 8, all school districts in the county would have a “Patriotic Meeting” at its schoolhouse. Schools and teachers were responsible to provide “a stirring patriotic rally” by opening with a prayer and singing “America” as part of its program. It was important to feature a local speaker, review why America was fighting the war, and tell why support for the war needed to continue until it was won.  July 8 was chosen because it was the date of the annual school meeting in each school across the county. Finally, patriotism for the first time in Gratiot County was being measured by what people should not do. Rumors, false reports, and criticism of the government of any kind were discouraged. In a column in the Gratiot County Herald, the government even went so far as to state that “Any word which tends to create a doubt or a question in the mind of an American citizen as to the purity of purpose of the government is an act of treason.”

     More and more men were being called into the service. At least 250 men in Gratiot County had turned 21 in the last year and were, therefore, eligible to be drafted. As the War Department made it a goal of having 3,000,000 men in the service by August 1, Michigan’s quota for the draft was 8,900 men. Draft boards now had a new pool of draftees: those who were in non-productive employment. Professional baseball players, sales clerks, clerical workers, traveling salesmen, public and private, cooks, managers, elevator operators, managers  – all were now open to the draft. While a headline read that “Married Men are Exempt,” there were narrower definitions of who qualified for an exemption , based on when they married and when they had children (generally within the previous year and when a prior draft call had been announced). It seemed that each week the name of one man who entered the service was featured in the news. Vernon Pino of Ithaca received a send-off from the Home Guards, after having a farewell banquet and gift of a wristwatch.   Reverend George Brown of the Breckenridge Congregational Church enlisted in the YMCA and was on his way to New York City. Brown expected to leave soon for France.  L.T. Chapin, a businessman of the Fleming Clothing Company in Ithaca, left for the United States Merchant Marines Alma, it was noted that Nick Bardville, a recent manager at the European Café, was being a good example for service by his training at Waco, Texas. Bardville was not yet an American citizen, but he was eager to fight the Hun.   Some Gratiot County men at Camp Custer were told that they may be sent to Italy.

     Letters from men gave people different viewpoints about the war. Private Claude Eastman described to his mother some of his experiences as a sub chaser on the Delaware River in New Jersey. While he was not on board when any of the German U-boats were hit, he noted that Sub Chaser S-646 got one of them. Lester W. Pressley wrote somewhere in France about the value of the YMCA as a place to find reading materials and with help writing letters.  The entertainment at the YMCA was also very good. Although he had to shop at different places in town, he was able to eventually find enough ingredients for French fried omelets, completed with fried potatoes and vegetables. His company was also in charge of maintaining its own garden. Pressley’s village was free of mud, but woe to those soldiers who marched in the valleys. Lyle Smith from Perrinton also wrote home to a family from his location in  France. He wrote that he was recuperating from several days in a hospital due to a terrible episode of mumps. He was amazed that French farmers only used one horse at a time to work in the fields. There were a lot of goats and he even saw one woman with a small pig in a baby carriage. Smith’s letter seemed to describe the lighter side of military service “Over There.” However, before the end of summer, he would among the county’s first fatalities in France.

      And Gratiot County continued on in the Great War in the summer of 1918.

Copyright 2018 James M Goodspeed

 

Above: Advertisements and headlines from the Alma Record and Gratiot  County Herald during May 1918.

             The war was on and life continued in Gratiot County during  May 1918.

           On top of Alma’s City Hall, one could see a Third Liberty Loan flag that Michigan Governor Albert Sleeper sent to Alma to congratulate the city for its efforts during the recent bond drive. Advertisements by businesses, like the St. Louis Alma Bottling Works, urged readers to buy a bond to “help to save the country.”  Governor Sleeper also moved to make one thousand new tractors available to farmers in Michigan who could use them and afford to pay for them. Ensuring supplies of seed corn and spring wheat for farming was also one of the governor’s goals. Army officers who were in need of financial assistance to purchase their equipment to attend the training camp at Fort Custer could receive up to $400 in loans, but it had to be paid back after the war.   The Yerrington Band played in St. Louis at the opera house for meetings to raise Liberty Loan money. The Alma Record gave service buttons to family members of men who had gone to France. The buttons were red, white and blue with a star in the center to represent the soldier. Some buttons had two stars to represent a family who had two soldiers on the front.  There were more serious concerns in the county. Alma schools announced that it was dropping the study of German after the current school year. Instead, French would be taught in its place.

          The use and consumption of American wheat were deemed as one of the important factors in defeating the Kaiser because the boys on the front needed to be fed. The government even reported that some places in the South and West had committed to not eating wheat bread until after the summer harvest. An article from County Food Administrator C.J. Chambers said that “THE AMERICAN PEOPLE MUST MEET THE TEST” and Gratiot County was urged to do the same. He asked, would Gratiot County also make this commitment? Families were supposed to eliminate the use of wheat until the next harvest, which would be a challenging task. Those who had to use wheat were told to confine their use to 1 ½ pounds per week. In Alma, no more than 1/8 of a barrel of flour could be sold at a time to one householder. One advertisement in the Alma Record showed how families should ration flour based on the number of people in their home. It read, “IF YOU ARE A PATRIOT YOU ARE OBSERVING THIS SCHEDULE OF FLOUR RATIONS IN YOUR OWN HOME.”  Warnings were issued that the National Food Administration would punish flour hoarders. People were told that no one should have more than a thirty day supply of flour on hand at any time. Sugar seemed to be another concern but women were told that they would have enough for the upcoming canning season.

         There was a constant call to support Gratiot County’s men at war. In early May, one of the first articles appeared that warned people about the dangers that soldiers faced from poison gas attacks. Doctor Esther Lovejoy, a physician, and public health advocate warned readers of the long-term effects of those who were blinded as well as those who would have to have artificial limbs and plastic surgery. So far, most people in Gratiot County had yet to see a wounded soldier in their midst, but that time was coming.  The United States Navy continued to recruit men in the county and held a patriotic meeting at the Alma Methodist Church. The Navy needed a half million men for its ranks. Seven men from Alma and Alma College received commissions as second lieutenants at Camp Custer. Among them was William C. Searle of Ithaca who was the son of Judge Kelly Searle. He was also the grandson of Alma founder Ralph Ely. On May 25, 61 men were called for military duty and had to appear before the draft board. To meet this requirement the draft board would now take men who had married in the last year and those who had previously been deferred. Also, 21-year-olds as of June 21, 1917, now had to register at the office above the Wright furniture store on Superior Street. None of the men in these groups were supposed to be excused for any cause.

          Another call went out about the need to support the Red Cross and it confronted those who failed to do so. A county Red Cross drive took place in the hope of raising $25,000, with each township having an assigned amount to raise. The Alma Chapter lamented that while there had been a city-wide parade at the end of the month, enthusiastic support seemed lacking. Some thought that Alma college students were needed to get involved in order to wake the city up. Similar calls for patriotic support with the Red Cross went on in other locations in Gratiot County. Over in Newark Township the question was asked, “We wonder what is the matter with the south part of the township, are you working in some other chapter, if not come and help us, we need you.” One lady walked four miles and another three miles just to work with the Red Cross unit there. Students at area schools were also asked if they had things that they could donate such as old gold rings or silver hat pins for “melting pots” (scrap metal that could be used for the war effort). The Red Cross also asked people to donate their old automobile tires. In Alma, donors could place their old tires on the bandstand that sat in front of city hall.

        As these things went on, more and more letters appeared from France. Private Earl Christy wrote to his brother that he had received a warm welcome in France and that there were 6,000 men on his ship when it arrived there. He commented, “Wouldn’t that have been a lovely bunch for some German submarines had they had a chance (to attack us), but, thanks to the Jackies who escorted us across.” He thought the YMCA and Red Cross were a great help to boys in the Army. Merlin Hamilton wrote to his parents that “A letter over here is a rare treat.” He did not mind that his letters home were tardy because each letter was believed to be censored at least twice. When he went into a French store he said that all he had to do was point to anything he wanted to buy and the shopkeeper would hold up a coin to show how much the item cost. His French had improved considerably and he could barter on his own. Lyle Reed told his wife that his French was very hard to learn but he knew enough to buy goods. He also was driving a three-ton Packard truck each day in order to deliver supplies. His biggest challenge was that in the city of 100,000 where he was at the streets were narrow and people walked right in the center. Lester Brandal was with the 20^th Engineers and spent his time working in the woods cutting logs. Writing to his sister, Leo Sheridan asked the family to look out for copies of May’s issue of McClure’s, Woman’s Home Companion or the Saturday Evening Post as he had his picture taken while visiting a YMCA building. He also closed by saying that he looked forward to returning home “so you can prepare one peck of German fried potatoes, a can of macaroni and cheese and Johnnie cake with all the trimmings.” One letter from Fred Crawford, Jr. to his aunt and uncle, Mrs. and Mrs. J.B. Crawford of Ithaca told of fighting on the front. He thought the dugouts were better than he expected and although he was in a quiet sector, he and other men watched airplane battles that went on above. Crawford likened the event to watching a football game. He recalled being shelled near Verdun, “I wish I could describe how I felt the first time we were bombarded. The feeling was a brand new one, and it was similar each time afterward, although of course, not so tense. The best description I can think of is the highest possible tension of the nerves, so that every fiber in you is on edge and especially when are outside. Every sense you have is so alert that you don’t have time to be afraid.” Sometimes Crawford was up from 24 to 36 hours at a stretch and he believed he could tell where a shell was going based on the whistle it made.

        More stories of combat in France would be coming to Gratiot County as some of the bloodiest battles were yet to begin.

Copyright 2018 James M Goodspeed

 

 

Above: Wartime advertisements from the Alma Record in April 1918.

 

          One year into the Great War, Gratiot County’s support for the war effort remained strong and unyielding. Patriotic zeal was clearly evident during the first anniversary of involvement in the war.

      One of the best examples of support for the war involved patriotic meetings.  Speakers from outside the county encouraged citizens to raise money for the war. One of these speakers was Louis D’Harcklay from Belgium who told about his role in European relief work. D’Harcklay told listeners at the Alma Presbyterian Church how the Germans tortured civilians and how they treated captured, Allied soldiers. Professor Stearns, from Alma College, gave public lectures about the importance of camp sanitation at places like Camp Custer, as well as how malaria and typhus threatened soldiers. These patriotic meetings extended across the county into areas like Middleton. On one Friday afternoon, Middleton High School dedicated its service flag, complete with nine stars, which represented local boys who had gone off to war. A parade took place starting from the Masonic Hall and leading to Mertz’s Hall. School superintendent Bertha Hoxie moved to the head of the group and led the people down the main street to the beat of a snare drum. When they reached the school, children led the salute to the flag, followed by singing and a speech led by Mrs. Fred Baker, who asked the community to support the purchase of Thrift Stamps and the Third Liberty Loan.

         During April, the government launched the Third Liberty Loan bond drive and wondered how Gratiot County would respond. Newspapers pitched the idea that people should consider buying bonds just as farmers would invest in building a good fence to protect their stock and property. Did residents of the county want the Kaiser to break down their fences and loot and plunder should the Germans win the war? Readers were told “Fence your farm with LIBERTY LOAN BONDS” as “The Third Liberty Loan is your opportunity to hit the Hun.”

        Several events that month showed how important support for the Liberty Loan drive really was. Loan salespeople went door to door in Alma asking people to buy bonds before an important meeting was held. Then, the big draw was brought in – the famous Jackie Band, led by Lieutenant John Philip Sousa from the Great Lakes Naval Station. Dubbed “the greatest band in the land,” the band traveled across the county and was credited with helping to raise $750,000,000 in Liberty Bonds. The anticipation in Alma was great and this event was considered one of the largest turnouts in this area of the state. A parade, which was held prior to the entertainment, started off with an automobile that carried local Liberty Bond committee and speakers. Then came fifteen Liberty Trucks, followed by an old hearse which had a pig wearing a German helmet. On the side of the hearse was a big banner which read “Buy Bonds and Bury Bill.” Next came the Alma High School Band and the Jackies. Afterward, a Liberty Bond meeting took place at the high school followed by a dance. Another parade and meeting were held the next night in St. Louis. The results were astounding because in nine days 1,752 Gratiot County citizens subscribed to $241,250 in the Third Liberty Loan. The Alma Record described the county’s efforts by saying, “No one can accuse the farmers of Gratiot County of being slackers.”

          Residents also heard about the need to purchase Thrift Stamps. Michigan had a goal of establishing 20,000 Thrift Clubs which were groups of people who bought a certain number of stamps over a period of time. Housewives were asked to put signs in their windows stating that they would hire young people to work for twenty-five cents per hour. Payment was to be made in the form of purchases of Thrift Stamps. The Boy Scouts of America also went door to door selling stamps in what was called “The Red Post Card Campaign.” Those who bought stamps would receive a red postcard from the local postmaster for delivery. President Wilson wrote a personal letter to the Boy Scout who sold the most stamps. A  special service flag was given to the troop that had the most sales.

        The nation continued to call for Gratiot County women to play a role in the war effort. Starting the last week in April a non-compulsory census was conducted by the Woman’s Committee of the Council of National Defense. Every woman over the age of sixteen was asked to fill out a registration card. In Ithaca, women could find the cards at nine designated locations between April 27-29.   Who could work outside the home, take training for further service, or work in a salaried position? These were some of the questions that the census tried to answer.  The government hoped that women could help fill the one million jobs left vacant due to military service.

         In addition, the Red Cross also called for support. The Alma chapter moved into its new location in the north room of the Alma Masonic Home. Local schools encouraged student support for the Red Cross. Alma schools contributed $123.25 through the Junior Red Cross. Students from different classes there made and donated wristlets, compresses, bandages, and sweaters. Over at Ithaca schools, the Junior Red Cross asked each student to contribute one dollar for membership. In order to help students who could not raise the membership fee, teachers called on Ithaca residents to offer to pay students for cleaning, odd jobs, and outside labor in order to help the students earn money needed for membership. At the south end of the county, the girls in Miss Davis’ grammar class at Middleton High School raised $10 in order to become Junior Red Cross members. Eventually, primary and intermediate classes raised the required amount when they sold popcorn, homemade candy, and holders.

         There was still the issue of the draft and those soldiers who had gone off to war.  Warnings were issued about deserters who had yet to return questionnaires for the draft. A list of 95 names was published and families were asked to help locate the men. On the one hand, it was argued that some of the charges about desertion were unjust because some men probably had moved, were already in the service or had just failed to mail in their forms. Still, the title of “slacker” was applied to the names on the list. Some family members became very angry with the county newspapers when their son or husband was already in the service ended up with their name on the list. Letters and visits to newspaper editors frequently took place and retractions concerning the label of “deserter” appeared in following issues.

        Letters from soldiers told Gratiot County readers about military life and war in Europe. Ellis J. Ayers was “Somewhere in France” and lamented the lack of attention that he paid to geography and history when he was in school. Ayers wrote, “We don’t realize what it means to study those subjects until we come face to face with the objects spoke of and then it dawns upon us the real value of study.”

        John W. Doyle, a sergeant in the 32^nd Division, told about his second Sunday in France. “The grass here is green though and they say the winter here doesn’t get much colder than it is now…We see all sorts of people here. Quite a few Chinamen (are) even (here).”  He added that “…we had a safe voyage and saw no submarines. All the war news we here is from an occasional Paris edition of the New York Herald and you folks at home get more news than we do here of the war.” He regretted that he could not buy candy anywhere, but one could buy all the wine and liquors he wanted.

          Those who wrote from camps inside the United States offered some insight into the changes Gratiot County men encountered. Ike Hansen wrote from Camp Jackson about the differences of being sent to the South. He wrote to his parents, “I almost forgot to say something about the cotton fields and negroes. In Georgia and South Carolina, the cotton fields in some places extend as far as a person can see, and the negroes are as thick as white people. Once in a while, we went through little towns that seemed to be mostly of negroes.” Stanley Bergen from the 424^th Engineers wrote from Camp Kearny that his church attendance had been “choppy” since he arrived, but he was attending services at a little country church three miles from camp. Although Sundays were termed “Liberty days,” he could not always go to church as he had to make up engineer property returns at his office. Murl Stedman wrote from a field hospital at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia and found the food to be tolerable. “Well, I just came back from mess. We had roast beef potato salad, pudding, bread, and tea. Had a good dinner today, went back after my second dish,” he commented.

         Finally, other things appeared in the news. Over in Breckenridge and Wheeler schools, every eligible boy there applied to enroll in the Boys Working Reserve Program. Meetings for the program were also held in Elwell, Ithaca, Riverdale, North Star and Perrinton where boys enrolled to help with farm work for the upcoming season. Spring sports at Alma Schools were canceled so that boys could help farmers. Both the superintendent and principal encouraged students to join the program. The Alma Record noted that “It is quite evident that Gratiot County boys are realizing the need for food and are lining up to do their best to feed the Allies. In other words, they are patriotic.” The former secretary of the Gratiot County YMCA was now in France and told readers what it was like to operate a YMCA dugout near Paris. Men came directly to and from the front to visit his dugout. He also asked readers to send records for the men to listen to.

         As the one year anniversary of the country’s involvement in the Great War took place there was no sign as to how long the war would last. It also did not indicate the loss of life that was still to come.

Copyright 2018 James M Goodspeed

 

Above: a host of advertisements from Gratiot County newspapers from March 1918.

           In March 1918 many people continued to make wartime sacrifices as winter ended. The Great War affected every American from big cities to small towns. Gratiot County was no exception.

         “We Won’t Win If We Waste” was the warning to housewives to do their part for voluntary rationing. Women were encouraged to reduce the use of wheat in their household by at least one third. They were told in newspapers, “Do your bit – small sacrifices now may save you from making greater ones later.” For example, dairy products were excellent substitutes, as well as eggs, macaroni, spaghetti, crackers, along with cornstarch and rice flour for puddings. Additionally, another form of patriotism involved the use of potato bread because Michigan had a surplus of potatoes. This substitute bread could be made with two cups of mashed potatoes for every cup of flour. These changes allowed a housewife to “beat the Kaiser at his own game” because “Bread and bullets will win battles for America.”   By conserving the purchase of wheat flour, a woman might save enough money to buy another Thrift Stamp for the war effort. Other substitutes for wheat-based meals included barley mush, vegetable loaf, and carrot soufflé.

          As Uncle Sam called more men for the war one of the groups included farmers and farmhands. There were those in Gratiot County who believed that these workers should be exempt from the draft because Gratiot County played an important part in providing food for the war effort. “A Farmer’s Daughter” sent a long letter to the Gratiot County Herald protesting the drafting of farmers’ sons. Both “city boys” and “country boys” were in high demand on farms in 1918 and many farmers depended on help from both groups. The draft boards were eventually told to try and delay calling all men engaged in actual farm work. A bulletin from the Adjutant General read, “Due to the scarcity of farm labor, the President directs that men engaged completely in agricultural work or farming…shall be given a deferred classification for the moment.”

       Boys between the ages of 17 and 21 who could work on the farms in 1918 faced pressure to sign up for the Boys’ Working Reserve Program in the county.  While school superintendents hoped that these boys would remain in school in order to graduate, many recognized the importance of their role in the war effort. At least one Michigan school district threatened students that if they did not work in the program then they would not be able to play football that fall. The state superintendent issued a statement that boys who entered the program were doing their community, state, and nation a great public service. The only criteria to enter the program in Gratiot County was that they were “physically qualified.” This hoped to add many boys to help out on farms in the county.

          Other issues Gratiot farmers faced that month included the government’s decision to fix the prices of wheat, sugar, and beans. When the government failed to do the same for cotton in the South, county farmers felt that this was unfair and that cotton growers should also face restraints. Gratiot farmers were also urged to prepare for a nationwide tractor shortage. They were told that they should immediately place their orders for Ford tractors to be delivered starting April 1. It is unclear how many in the county could afford a tractor or how many purchased new ones.

          The stories of Gratiot County men in the military continued to be read in the county newspapers. Arthur Wiseman and Clarence Frump from Ithaca both had going away parties given in their honor and both men received new wristwatches. Roland Crawford and Fred Crozier had dinners given in their honor in the evenings before they left for Fort Custer, both were Ithaca High School graduates. Roland was about to become a senior at the University of Michigan. Crozier was taking classes at Ferris Institute in Big Rapids and he was known for his work in pharmacy stores in Alma and Ithaca. Art Foote, the captain of the Alma College football team, was the seventh member of that team to leave when he enlisted in the medical corps. “Art” hoped to become a doctor and was well known and liked by many on the campus of Alma College.

        Other news about soldiers sounded more serious. One mother, Owen Courter of Elwell, was relieved when she got a telegram from her son who was in Europe. She was uncertain as to whether her son had been aboard the USS Tuscania, a transport ship that was torpedoed in early February off the coast of Ireland. By mid-March, she reported with great relief that her son, Glen, cabled home a simple message, “Arrived here safely.”  Malon C. Briggs, who was in a camp in Middleton, Pennsylvania, wrote home to his family in Vestaburg detailing his unit’s battle against diphtheria and smallpox. The town had been quarantined and no one was allowed in or out. He and his men had received a player piano and a Victrola and they used these to pass the time. Walter H. Young, who was at a camp in Arizona, stated that a new YMCA building had been built and it allowed soldiers to write home. He also wrote that his group had just been issued new Colt .45 pistols. Whitford Unger wrote from England to tell his family that he was preparing for the move to France where “the biggest half of my battalion lie beneath the sod, and I will do the same to keep my dear old country free.” Bob Rayburn from Ithaca wrote from a camp in Newport, Virginia to tell his sister how a shell exploded inside of a three-inch gun, wounding thirty men and killing two. He added, “Several others were hurt severely. None of the Ithaca boys were near the gun so we did not get hurt.” Clarence M. Gruesbeck, who was in the 15^th Field Artillery, was actually in France now and described the French people as being very sociable, although they did not work as fast as Americans. He was stationed in a small village where the house and barn were connected. Gruesbeck was living at one end of the building and animals were in the other. The cake that his family sent to him arrived and although it was dry, it was eaten “and we thought it was very good.” He still really wished for good American candy.

        Call-ups for the draft went on. In Gratiot County, 50 men were called to appear for their physical examinations early in March. It was said that the government needed 95,000 men and 5,585 were to come from Michigan. Another 80 men were called, then the number reached 94. These men entered the service on March 29. Among the names who would never return to Gratiot County were George Washington Myers, Samuel Benjamin Derby, and William Lee Shippey. All would die during the war.

       Different chapters of the Red Cross in Gratiot County performed their services to raise money and tried to increase their membership. Sergeant Major Russell of the Canadian Army, who had served at the Western Front for three years, came to the county and spoke at different churches. One meeting he held in Ithaca raised $370. Another at the Alma Presbyterian Church raised $250. Both places donated the proceeds to the Red Cross. Different events in Ithaca like thimble parties, dancing parties, and box socials also raised funds. Both of the movie theater owners in Ithaca and St. Louis showed movies and donated proceeds from a show to the Red Cross. A Red Cross drive in Alma hoped to raise the necessary $500 each month to do its part for the war. Solicitors went out into parts of the city to find new pledges of support.  The money was needed because current funds did not cover the cost of shipping supplies to service areas.  The Alma Chapter was very active and it asked people to help pledge something for this challenge. Even pledging only twenty-five cents showed that “This is one means of paying for the privilege of staying at home. It is your patriotic duty to give all that you can to one of the noblest services that the war presents.” The Alma Chapter also held a Firemen’s Ball and raised $108.44. Community singing programs continued as ways of showing support for the war and raising funds, however, once spring weather approached the programs were suspended.

        The Red Cross chapter encouraged people in Alma to prepare to use any unused ground in the city for liberty gardens in the spring. Collecting clean, strong and durable clothing was needed to help reach a goal of sending 2100 tons to Belgium’s men women and children who were in need. The Alma Chapter asked readers, “Have you been to the Red Cross room this month?” A Free Reading Room with bulletins from the Committee on Public Information was available. Red Cross workers also were given new directions from Washington, D.C. concerning the official dress for those at the Alma Red Cross room. Each lady was expected to wear a white apron with sleeves to the wrist, along with a white coif. The instructor in charge wore a red coif with a white band. Any woman with 32 hours of work wore a Red Cross emblem on the left breast of her apron. The new dress regulations were to start April 1.

       Also during that March, citizens were urged to show their individual patriotism. Over in Elwell, an announcement read, “It is believed here that it will aid the patriotic spirit if community singing of patriotic songs is taken up here the same as in many other places in the country. All that are interested are requested to be present this Sunday evening at the church. This means you!” The village of Sumner had similar meetings at the Christian Church. Service flags continued to spring up all over the county. The Ithaca Presbyterian Church presented, unveiled and dedicated its new flag with stars representing members from that congregation. The Booster Class of the Ithaca Baptist Church did the same thing on Sunday morning. Reverend Roberts fulfilled his role there as a “Minute Man” for the ceremony. The Minute Men in Gratiot County were individuals who gave short, four-minute speeches to show support for the war effort. The Committee on Public Information (CPI) prepared speeches for people to give at various times and places across the nation. Breckenridge High School also displayed its first Service Flag which had 34 stars on it.  Businessman Carl Faunce in the same town had a service flag in his store’s window with three stars, each for a former employee who was in the service.

        Raising money for the effort continued. People in Alma and Ithaca were encouraged to come and hear Gunner Depew, an American sailor who went off to the war in 1914 and fought for France against the Hun on both land and sea. The Third Liberty Loan Drive also started and the Alma Episcopal Church stepped up and bought $1,000 worth of bonds. Some county men in the service wrote letters home telling how they also had purchased bonds. Anyone in Gratiot County who could not buy a bond could buy Thrift Stamps. Many were urged to buy a stamp each day for only a quarter. Other things people could do to show support for the war involved watching high school cadets practice their drills at a basketball game between Alma and St. Louis. The Alma Order of the Eastern Star wanted to adopt a French Orphan and planned to raise money to provide for the child for one year. The C.A. Sawkins Piano Company in Alma asked for people to donate unused phonographs and records for soldiers at Fort Custer. Citizens were also asked to buy either a watch, razors, dining utensils or Masonic and Odd Fellows rings for soldiers who had gone off to war.

         There also were warnings directed toward the disloyal or unpatriotic in Gratiot County. Penalties for hoarding were posted. Hoarders were warned of facing a $5000 fine and imprisonment for hoarding “in a quantity in excess of his reasonable requirements for use and consumption for himself and dependents for a reasonable time.” Also, the United States Intelligence Department asked for drawings, photographs, and descriptions of bridges, buildings, towns and communities in France, Belgium and Luxemburg that the Germans currently held. The government asked individuals to go through their collections and donate these items to the Intelligence Department, however, they would not be returned. Those who could help could leave their items at the Alma Record.

        Finally, everyone was urged to prepare for the impending “Daylight Law” that would start April 1. All clocks were to be set ahead one hour so that places like factories in Alma could start work one hour earlier. Church service times did not change. It was what we called Daylight Savings Time.

Copyright 2018 James M. Goodspeed