Farmers Weekly Review

By Sandy Vasko

This starts a series of articles about what I call the “forgotten war,” World War One. Looking back after over 100 years, it still isn’t obvious why it was fought, and how the United States got involved. Never the less, we did get involved, and its effect on Will County were many.

In a nut shell, the cause of WWI is as follows: On 28 June 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the throne of Austria-Hungary, was shot and killed by a Serbian man who thought Serbia, not Austria, should control Bosnia.

Because its leader had been shot, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. As a result, Russia got involved, because Russia had an alliance with Serbia. Germany then declared war on Russia, because Germany had an alliance with Austria-Hungary. Britain then declared war on Germany because of its invasion of neutral Belgium. Britain had agreements to protect both Belgium and France.

Americans began to fear that what was going on in Europe would happen here. On May 14, 1915, in the Wilmington Advocate: “On account of a false report circulated upon our streets Monday last that President Wilson has been assassinated created much excitement among our citizens. The report was circulated throughout the country and the origin of same is a mystery.”

The effects of the war were not always bad; we read in July of the same year in the AdvocateA: “The farmers in the neighborhood of Manhattan have sold more than one hundred and fifty horses for shipment to Europe, the prices ranging from $160 ($4,900 today) to $250 ($7,650), the aggregate amount paid is estimated at over $30,000 ($918,400).”

Will County, with so many citizens of German descent, was extremely disappointed to hear in November of 1915, “Postmaster Spurr has received orders from the post office department that no more parcel post packages can be accepted to be sent this year to Germany, Austria or Hungary as they cannot be delivered. This order will bring sorrow to those who wished to send Christmas presents to relatives and friends in the war-stricken countries.”

Early in 1916, an ad appeared in the Will County papers that said, “50,000 Farmers Wanted.” Canada had joined the war along with Great Britain, with the result that there was not enough farmers left to plant and harvest crops. One big incentive to move to Canada was there was no draft. Rumors of the draft had been circulating for months in this country.

Other rumors about German spies infiltrating the U. S. resulted in the following: “A special train carrying several hundred mules from Kansas City to Newport News, Va., was held here three hours while city detectives, police and a sheriff’s posse investigated a report that German spies were planning to wreck it. Not only was the mule train held up, but traffic of all kinds on the Peoria & Eastern was delayed. After the track had been inspected for several miles and all crossings guarded with extra care, the delayed traffic was permitted to move.”

Early in 1917, America was facing a food shortage. Food had been sent overseas, not only to support the war effort, but also to feed the starving civilians of France and Belgium. In February of that year, many in this country were also starving. Grocers’ shelves were empty, and the price of food went sky high. From the Wilmington Advocate February 16, 1917: “Tuesday last our grocers were selling potatoes at $3.20 ($78) per bushel, and the following day there were no spuds to be had.”

Overnight, farming became the most important job in the land. In the February 23, 1917, Wilmington Advocate, we read: “Two hundred and five members, pledged to pay $10 each for a period of three years, have been enrolled for the Will County Farm Bureau, and the organization is planning to renew its activities in behalf of the farming interests in this community.”

Finally, the U.S. declared war on April 6th, 1917. The U.S. had desperately tried to stay neutral, but ties to Britain, propaganda, the sinking of ships by German U-boats, and a German attempt to get Mexico to declare war on the U.S., pushed the U.S. to getting involved.

The cost of food immediately soared even higher. In the February 23, 1917, Wilmington Advocate we read: “The highest price ever received for yearlings in this vicinity was received by Swival Brothers of Florence last week when they received $111 ($2,690) per head for twenty-four head of Angus yearlings.”

In June the real results of the war became evident when the first man to die from Will County was brought home. From the June 8, 1917, Wilmington Advocate, we read: “The remains of Joseph Cerveny, who died May 28, of scarlet fever at the base hospital at Nogales, Arizona, where he, as one of the members of Company A, 25^th Infantry, was stationed at the United States military training camp, arrived here (Wilmington) Tuesday afternoon on the 4:05 train.

“The remains were taken at once to Melcher’s undertaking parlors where they reposed until the following morning, when private funeral services were held at 10:30 o’clock.

“A firing squad from the Dandy First regiment stationed at Dellwood Park, arrived here on the 10:30 a.m. train and were at once taken to the Melcher chapel where they took possession of the remains of their dead soldier brother, as pallbearers, and tenderly carried him to the funeral car and the remains were escorted to Oakwood cemetery where short services were held, after which the firing squad fired volleys over the grave, and then the bugle call was given.

“Nearly every business house closed their places of business during the funeral in respect to young ‘Joe,’ who gave up his life while preparing himself to fight for ‘Your flag and my flag.’ Although orders were given for no public funeral nearly every citizen in our city, with the exception of the school children, were at the chapel or cemetery.”

Joe was only the first to come home in a casket; there would be many more.