The Roads Were of Course Bad: Thanksgiving 1918

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator

Today, the weather in Kansas is dreary and getting colder.  The north wind is beating against the large windows of the museum.  It is a good day to stay inside.  Before television and video games, people had to find other entertainment on cold Kansas days. 

Playing a Game
HCHM Photo Archives

Waive Kline described her Thanksgiving Day 1918 in a letter to Glenn Wacker, who was serving with the United States Army in France during World War I.  Harvey County had received a fair amount of rain throughout October and November.  The rural roads were frequently impassible and this proved to be true on Thanksgiving Day.

"This has surely been a beautiful day.  This morning when we got up everything was covered with snow. The evergreen trees in the front yard were so full of snow that they bent almost to the ground. . . . The roads were of course bad. We had  invited  Aunt Elva's here so we were rather disappointed when the roads had to get so bad.  As it was the Kline family ate their Thanksgiving dinner by their 'lonesomes'. . . . We haven't done much to-day.  I have read a lot and tatted some.  I started to read a book." (Letter Waive Kline, Newton, Kansas to Glenn Wacker, France, Thanksgiving Day, Waive & Glenn Wacker Collection, HCHM Archives, Newton, Ks)

No doubt, many rural Harvey County families were home bound on Thanksgiving Day in 1918 and for entertainment played games together, read and worked on handwork.

Playing a Game
Lucile Mitchel Miller Collection
1917

Our next exhibit, Games People Play, will open January 18, 2014.

Sources

• Letter - Waive Kline, Newton, Kansas to Glenn Wacker, France, Thanksgiving Day, Waive and Glenn Wacker Collection, HCHM Archives, Newton, Ks)

For other blog posts featuring the Glenn and Waive Kline Wacker Collection click here.

Connect with us on

our home page

or

Facebook

Sure Was Some Celebration: Armistice Day

by Kristine Schmucker, HCHM Curator

This past week Veteran's Day was celebrated on November 11 prompting this blog post on the very first celebrations at the end of World War I.  2014 marks the one hundredth anniversary of the start of the "Great War" in Europe. Countries involved included the Allies: France, Britain and Russia; and the Central Powers: Germany and Austria-Hungary. The war eventually involved all of Europe. The United States did not officially join the Allies until April 6, 1917. 
  

On the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918, an armistice was declared between the Allied nations and Germany. Although the Treaty of Versailles would not be signed until June 28, 1919 officially ending "the Great War," all hostilities stopped on November 11, 1918.  

"Service Note"
November 11, 1918
Dr. Harold Glover

For a world weary of war,  November 11, 1918 was a day of celebration.

November 11, 1918
Lucile Mitchel Miller Collection
HCHM Photo Archives

In a letter to her soldier fiance serving in France in the fall of 1918, Waive Kline described what happened in Harvey County when "Peace" was finally declared.

"There was surely some excitement Monday morning when we heard about 'Peace'.  We went to Newton about two o'clock [in the afternoon] and didn't get home until about ten.  Sure was some celebration.  There were people every place you looked and the noise. Oh! My! You could certainly see that something wonderful had happened."  (Waive Kline to Glenn Wacker 14 November 1918)

Evening Kansan-Republican, 11 November 1918

Harvey County Celebrations 

November 12, 1918

Parade on November 12, 1918
100 Block North Main, west side
Hesston, Ks
HCHM Photo Archives

Newton Armistice Day Parade
November 12, 1918
HCHM Photo Archives

A year later, "Armistice Day" was celebrated on November 11 to commemorate the ending of the war.

Newton Evening Kansan-Republican, 5 November 1919

Stores closed in Newton for the day and "Main Street was in gala attire in its patriotic decorations." The Evening Kansan Republican noted that "stores being closed emphasized the significance of the holiday observed." The parade down Newton's Main Street had more than 2,000 participants with "10,000 people in town" for the festivities.  The American Legion had a full day planned in addition to the parade, including special music, speeches, games and an Armistice Ball at the City Auditorium.

November 11th, or "Armistice Day," became a legal federal holiday in the United States in 1938 and was to be a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace.  In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became Veterans Day, a holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars.

Sources:

• Glenn and Waive Kline Wacker Collection, HCHM Archives
• Evening Kansan-Republican, 11 November 1918
• Evening Kansan Republican, 5 November 1919, 6 November 1919, 8 November 1919, 10 November 1919, 11 November 1919, 12 November 1919, 13 November 1919,
• Bethel Breeze in the Evening Kansan Republican, 18 November 1919 

Connect with us on

our home page

or

Facebook

This has surely been a beautiful day: Thanksgiving 1918

The holiday season is almost upon us.  At the museum, decorations are going up for Five Places of Christmas, our annual holiday open house on December 1. However, before the rush of the season takes over, we will celebrate Thanksgiving.

1917 Postcard - front

1917 Postcard - back
 To "Ma" (Mrs. M.L. Trask) from Jessie 

This post highlights Thanksgiving Day 1918 as celebrated by the rural Harvey County family of George Kline.  In 1918, the Kline family lived on a farm in Macon Township.  Family members were parents, George & Linnie Kline, and sisters, Grace & Waive.  A son, Maurice, was serving in the Navy. The letters between Waive Kline, and her fiance, Glenn Wacker, who was with the AFE in France, are featured in the exhibit, Harvey County on the Homefront.

Waive Kline, 1915

Peace had been declared on November 11, 1918, but American troops were still in France. Often the families at home did not know where their loved one was and mail service was sporadic. Glenn Wacker was with the Motor Transport Corps and the Grave Registration Bureau in France during the winter of 1918-19.  Waive's Thanksgiving Day letter expressed uncertainty and concern regarding his location.

"I have been wondering where you were - in England or France and now I know. Your father called up yesterday and said he had just rec'd a letter from you and that you were in France. . . . they surely took you there in a hurry.  I am glad to at least have an idea where you are."

Another anxiety mentioned by Waive was the increasing fear of the "Flu". Officials urged people to stay home and several schools were closed.

"The schools in Halstead, Burrton, Hutchinson have closed again on account of the Flu. Also heard that Normal at Emporia had closed until the first of the year."

Weather also influenced the family's Thanksgiving Day plans. Overnight it had snowed a great deal.  This meant that the rural roads were impassible and any guests that had planned on joining the Kline family would not be able to come.  

"We had invited Aunt Elva's here, so we were rather disappointed when the roads had to get so bad."  

Despite worries about Glenn, the flu and bad weather, the Kline family enjoyed a quiet Thanksgiving at home.  Waive wrote:

"This has surely been a beautiful day.  This morning when we got up everything was covered with snow.  The evergreen trees in the front were so full of snow that they bent almost to the ground.  The sun shone all day and it was so warm that most of the snow melted.  The roads of course were bad."

Waive to Glenn Wacker
Thanksgiving Day 1918

"As it was the Kline family ate their Thanksgiving dinner by their 'lonesomes.'  We didn't have an especially big feed but had a plenty.  We had enough so that this evening we didn't get supper as no one wanted much."

Heart of the Blue Ridge
by Waldron Baily
1915

"I read a lot and tatted some.  I started to read a book last night after supper entitled "Heart of the Blue Ridge."  It is a southern story and very exciting.  I just finished it before I started to write this letter." 

Waive gives us a brief peek into life during the winter of 1918, a time without TV (so no after dinner football), the internet or passable roads.  Even the telephone was  relatively new to rural Kansans in 1918.    Waive was able to see the beauty around her and be thankful during an uncertain time.

 Sources: 

Postcards from HCHM Postcard File. 

Letter -Waive Kline, Harvey County, Ks to Glenn Wacker, AFE France, Thanksgiving Day 1918.  Glenn & Waive Kline Wacker Collection, Harvey County Historical Museum & Archives, Newton, Ks.