USA > Connecticut > Fairfield County > Fairfield > This is Fairfield, 1639-1940 > Part 24
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More hydrants were deemed a necessity in March 1915 and permanent sidewalks were rec- ommended. More lights and road improvements too continued as priority items.
In 1916 the streets were officially named and street signs were put up.
For some time there had been agitation for a high school. First an eighth grade class room had been established at Sherman School and later in other sections of town. Then a high school program was developed for these young- sters.
On December 12, 1916, Miss Annie B. Jen- nings gave the Brown property to the Town for use as a High School. A complete report is given in the School section of this book and there are pictures in the picture section of this first sec- ondary school building. This estate included a large house and property and was on the site where Roger Ludlowe High School stands today.
Better transportation was sought in the Town in 1917 with a request to the Connecticut Com- pany for double tracks in Town. The reasoning was that in 1896 when the single track was laid there were only four thousand people whereas now the total had reached eight thousand. The fare had been raised from five cents per ride to six cents and the townsfolk felt this increase "unjust and uncalled for".
World War I was casting its shadow over Fair- field and efforts were again in order for the Town to carry its share of the load. In February 1917 thirty-six military census agents were ap- pointed by First Selectman Rowe to enroll all men. This census was carried on through per- sonal calls by the agents. On March 29, 1917 in the Bridgeport Telegram this article appeared.
Fairfield's Home Guard-Fairfield's recruiting officers for the Home Guard are starting work in earnest now, taking the names of applicants, and a meeting of the Board will be held Sunday at the Town Hall to consider ways and means of enrolling men enough for a company. Although a number of the local men are in favor of the formation of a demounted cavalry company as suggested by Col. Alling, it is not known whether such a unit will be organized, and will not be known until the men have gathered and expressed their desires. Young men of Fairfield between the ages of eighteen and thirty and unmarried who cannot be persuaded to enlist in the Bridgeport militia companies, will be enrolled in the Home Guard of Fairfield. Later when the Governor makes a call for men for the militia organizations or the President demands men of Fair- field for the navy or regular army, those eligible for such work will be automatically discharged and re-
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quested to enlist in other branches. Eligible for Home Guard are all men in the Town of Fairfield between the ages of sixteen and sixty. It is hoped to get all between seventeen and forty-five. Men older than sixty will not be taken. Application blanks may be had of Superintendent Leach of Handy and Harmon Company, of Town Clerk Joseph I. Flint at the Town Hall and of Winthrop H. Perry at the Southport Bank. Fairfield has much territory to guard if war is declared and a Home Guard organi- zation will be found of great use. The enlistment period is for two years and if there is no war, drills of the company will not be frequent.
War was declared by the United States on April 6, 1917. Then:
EXPECT LARGE CROWD AT MEET IN TOWN HALL
Fairfield and Southport Men Expected to Turn Out for Home Guard Discussion-Fairfield April 12 -(Special) Benedict Holden, a member of the Mili- tary Emergency Board of the State is expected to stimulate recruiting in the Fairfield Home Guard to a great extent when he speaks here Friday night in the Town Hall. It is expected that large delegations from every part of Fairfield, Southport, Stratfield and Greenfield Hill will be on hand to hear of the purposes for which the Home Guard is being organ- ized. Mr. Holden comes from Hartford. He is a member of the Commission appointed by Governor Marcus H. Holcomb to take care of various plans for State defense. It is believed that the Home Guard idea which is now being carried out in many other states, is one of the best for protection. It is hoped that at least two hundred men, young and old, married and unmarried, of Fairfield, Southport and Stratfield will join and take training. The work has gone slow in Fairfield. In other towns and cities, drilling is being carried on now. Machine gun pla- toons have been formed, equipped and drilled. But Fairfield has but the nucleus of the Home Guard organization. Men are wanted at the meeting to- morrow night. All misunderstandings about the plan will be cleared up by Mr. Holden's plain statements. The meeting will open about eight o'clock.
Again on:
April 28-HOME GUARD SESSION-Fair- field's Home Guardsmen had their first drill last night in Sherman Hall under the direction of Colo- nel Paulding, a retired United States Army Officer. The eighty men present were divided into two double lines . . .
At the first registration on June 6, 1917, 1035 men were registered and there were twenty reg- istrars at work throughout the day at the Town Hall.
On July 9 a list of the eligibles for conscrip- tion was posted in the Town Hall, together with the key numbers that were to be utilized in the draft. The young men were requested to ascer- tain the numbers so that when the draft was made they would know whether or not they had
been conscripted. Notice was sent by mail but the initial announcement came through the news- papers.
Dr. William H. Donaldson served as Chair- man and Executive Officer of the Thirteenth Exemption Board which had jurisdiction over the towns of Fairfield, Stratford, Weston, Easton, Westport, Newtown, Trumbull, Monroe and Shelton-the Twenty-fifth Senatorial District, and he was assisted by J. Henry Blakeman of Stratford, and John H. Treadwell of Trumbull.
One list of the eligible men was sent to Wash- ington, the other remained on file in Fairfield. The total of the lists for all nine towns reached 4300 names.
Many Fairfield names were among the first numbers drawn. 382 was the quota under this call for the Thirteenth Board. The Exemption Board held their examinations in each town on different days.
held its first examination today in Shelton. On Friday and Saturday at nine o'clock here for Fairfield, Westport, Trumbull, Newtown, Easton, Weston and Monroe men . . .
Of the 901 ordered to appear from the district 188 men were from Fairfield-about twenty per- cent. The Examining Board of Physicians was made up of Dr. Francis I. Nettleton of Shelton, Dr. William H. Cogswell of Stratford, Dr. De- Ruyter Howland of Stratford, Dr. Frank H. Mc- Laury of Westport and Dr. D. C. DeWolfe of Bridgeport.
The Thirteenth Board was swamped with work. Robert P. Shelton was in charge of the office and Miss Emma Allen, long time secretary at the Town Hall was in charge of clerical work but Dr. Donaldson requested many volunteer clerks to assist with the work of making and keeping records, to answer questions in letters, etc. etc.
On September 19th Fairfield gave her draft- ees a real sendoff. Town offices, schools, banks, public buildings and stores closed at noon in tribute to the local boys who left early the next morning for the training camp-Devens in Ayer, Massachusetts. About thirty-four boys were in this group and all were given wrist watches which had been purchased from a public sub- scription. The exercises were held on the Green in front of the Town Hall. The gold watches were presented to the draftees by Judge Alfred B. Beers of Bridgeport who was a former com- mander-in-chief in the Grand Army of the Re- public.
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Well the draft went on. 251 men were called from Fairfield for examination on October 19th and so on.
While the draft was in progress and the war continuing, as during times of duress before, the home folks worked hard and together to do their part.
The Home Guard-Company M-Fourth Reg- iment Connecticut was equipped with uniforms, Springfield rifles and drilled regularly. Their monthly reports show:
1917 Company M organized, Capt. William E. Smith appointed April 30th, First Lieutenant Will- iam Van Kirk, Second Lieutenant H. W. Goldsbor- ough. Members sixty-five-Sixteen drills held in May-Average attendance ninety-one percent-av- erage time occupied in drill one and one half hours school of the soldier and school of the squad. Six- teen drills held in June-average attendance ninety- two percent-time occupied for drill one hour forty- five minutes. Two company drills held on parade grounds and two street parades. Seventeen drills held in July. Average attendance eighty-five percent- one inspection-Company drills, Platoon drills- Guard drills-Officers School.
Dates of drill in August:
1st-Company drill
2nd-Drill non-coms
6th-First Platoon School of the Guard
8th-Guard drill
11th-Company drill
12th-Battalion drill in Bridgeport
13th-Company drill
14th-Second Platoon drill
15th-Company inspection
20th-Drill of the Company
21st-Guard duty
22nd-Extended order drill
23rd-Inspected by Col. Wilson of Bridgeport
27th-Drill at guard duty
28th-Drill of the First Platoon
29th-Company drill
30th-Guard drill
Total-eighteen drills-average attendance eighty- seven percent. The members are taking great interest in their work.
September :
4th-Drill and parade
5th-Drill and parade
8th-Range practice
12th-Company drill and guard duty
15th-Range practice
17th-Marching and guard duty
19th-School of the Company
22nd-Range practice
25th-Guard duty
27th-Company drill 29th-Range practice
Average attendance good-all members interested. October : 2nd-Skirmish drill 8th-School of the Company
12th-Guard drill
14th-Battalion drill in Bridgeport
15th-Signal and Company drill
21st-Sham battle in Westport 24th-Company drill
31st-Company drill
Four members received discharge. Five reserves drilling. First line Curtis, Green, Sherwood, Riker, Downs .... etc. etc.
On April 26, 1917, Governor of Connecticut Marcus Holcomb appointed the Connecticut State Council of Defense by proclamation .. .
With one and under my direction to conduct the prosecution of the war so far as concerns this state and with power to cooperate with other states and with the Federal Government. . . . Multiplicity of or- ganizations attempting to do the same thing results in duplication and waste. If our state is to perform its part to its fullest efficiency, there must be no waste and, therefore no duplication . .
Then within each town in the State a War Bureau was chosen to supervise all War activi- ties within the Town. Mr. Bacon Wakeman was chosen Fairfield's chairman and he received the following letter:
Connecticut State Council of Defense State Capitol Hartford, Connecticut December 26, 1917
The Fairfield War Bureau
Mr. Bacon Wakeman, Chairman
Fairfield, Connecticut
Dear Sir:
This is to advise you that the Fairfield War Bureau is hereby constituted the official war agency for the State of Connecticut in the Town of Fair- field.
Faithfully yours, Connecticut State Council of Defense Executive Office W. F. Whitmore
Other members of the War Bureau as of Sep- tember 2, 1918 and their respective committee assignments were:
War Bureau Committee Members
Bacon Wakeman, Chairman Joseph I. Flint
Frederick Sturges, Jr.
Rev. Frank S. Child
Mrs. William B. Glover
Mrs. Samuel H. Wheeler
Mrs. DeVer H. Warner
Rev. William J. Blake
Edward Phelan Capt. William E. Smith
Frank E. Morgan
James O. Buckley Mrs. Joseph L. Hetzel Frederick C. Banks Mrs. Thornton J. Belden
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Charles A. Rowe Arthur L. Johnson Mrs. John W. Wright Finance Committee Frank E. Morgan Frederick Sturges, Jr. Mrs. DeVer H. Warner Relief Committee Charles A. Rowe Mrs. Joseph L. Hetzel Mrs. Thornton J. Belden
Information and Research
Joseph I. Flint Miss Nellie Wheeler
Mrs. Henry S. Glover
Agricultural James O. Bulkley Frederic C. Banks
Publicity Mrs. William B. Glover
The by-laws effecting the Bureau and its Com- mittees were as follows:
Whereas, our Country is now at war and all its resources are needed for the prosecution of the same and should be duly husbanded and its energy, products and financial resources should be efficient- ly and economically administered; that, for the ac- complishment of these objects there should be adopted a rule controlling individuals, societies, clubs, associations and corporations in their solicita- tion of funds or other property for all objects arising from the war or otherwise, the following By-Law is hereby adopted as a guide and for the control of these efforts.
Therefore be it Resolved: That no individual, society, club or corporation shall solicit funds or other property by a public appeal for the above named purposes within the limits of the Town of Fairfield without first securing the approval of the War Bureau of the Town or its delegated agents, and said Bureau or its agents before granting the approval above mentioned shall demand certain general requirements as follows:
1. All agencies of national or state-wide scope, ex- cepting the Red Cross, Y.M.C.A., and Knights of Columbus, shall present with their application a letter or other sufficient evidence showing the approval of the State Council of Defense at Hartford.
2. All agencies, local in character, must present the following qualifications.
a. A responsible and acting directing board holding regular meetings.
b. A necessary purpose not duplicating in a field already effectively covered.
c. A reasonable efficiency in work accom- plished.
d. A non-use of solicitors, on commission, for any purpose, or of entertainments the ex- penses of which are disproportionate to the receipts.
e. An Audited financial statement to the War Bureau for its approval.
Their activities were varied and many. The agenda for two of their meetings are included here.
April 19, 1918-Reports 1. Finance Committee
2. Relief Committee
3. Information and Research Committee
4. Foreign Born Population
New Business
1. Agricultural Committee
2. Smileage Book
3. War Savings Stamps
4. Liberty Chorus
5. Choice of Secretary
6. Consent of financial campaign County Y.M. C.A.
7. Regulation of entertainments and solicitation of funds.
8. Food conservation-Home cards
9. Legal adviser for Soldiers and Sailors
September 7, 1918-Agenda of Meeting Poster-Soliciting Funds publicly
War Chest-Plan
War Savings
Smileage Books (These helped provide entertain- ment for the boys at Camp)
Drafted-Enlisted men-Send off
Organization should be more complete
Town Support
Gasoline Conservation
Registration Day
Honor Roll
Some of their reports to Governor Holcomb are highly informative and certainly show the genuine and sincere role which Fairfield folk played.
Report to Governor Holcomb as of October 29, 1918 Number of Fairfield men in Armed Forces of the U. S. 405
Number of Fairfield men in civilian war
4
service overseas
Number of Fairfield men who died in ser-
3
vice
Liberty Loans
Quota
Subscribed
1st
$44,000
$83,200
2nd
66,000
200,000
3rd
82,900
219,000
4th
165,800
292,050
War Savings Campaign Stamps
Amount Pledged
$24,017
Red Cross Drives
Quota
Subscribed
1st
$ 8,000
$17,000
2nd
15,000
27,400
Red Cross Membership Adult 1845
Red Cross Supplies
1. Hospital garments and supplies completed
234,110
2. Surgical dressings
211,960
3. Knitted goods
4,377
4. Comfort kits
625
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Y.M.C.A. Drive
Quota $5,000
Subscribed $24,000
Library Fund Quota
Subscribed
$ 400 $ 400
Have you a Liberty Chorus-yes
How many ?- 3 (Fairfield, Southport, Greenfield Hill)
Number of members-105
These were busy days for all. Activities a- bounded. Great emphasis was placed on pre- serving all food, especially what could be raised locally. A Canning Kitchen for the Town was established at Sherman School and all were urged to bring their food stuffs to that center to prepare for the less abundant days ahead.
THE FAIRFIELD CANNING KITCHEN
Under the auspices of The Home Economics Committee
The Fairfield Canning Kitchen has been opened at Sherman School, Fairfield, and will be in opera- tion on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fri- days from nine a.m. until five p.m. Its primary ob- ject is to preserve for the coming winter all pro- ducts of Fairfield gardens and orchards which might otherwise be wasted.
Householders may bring their own products to be canned at cost for their own use and surplus products are solicited to be canned for sale, the net proceeds to be devoted to war work. Old jars in per- fect condition are solicited for this war work.
The following regulations are to govern the kitchen:
All products must be fresh picked and brought to Sherman School at nine a.m. Nothing will be ac- cepted after eleven o'clock. Notice of the quantity and variety of products to be canned must be sent the day before to Mrs. William B. Glover. Phone 298-3.
All rubber rings are to be furnished by the kitch- en, no other rings used. Perfect jars may be brought from home or purchased at the kitchen. The cost of canning includes labor, salt and the rubber rings. Householders who have received their full quota of sugar must furnish their own sugar. Fruit will be canned in syrup not richer than twenty-five per- cent.
Canning Prices
String beans 10 cents per quart jar
Shell beans
10 cents per quart jar
Corn
10 cents per quart jar
Peas 10 cents per quart jar
Greens
10 cents per quart jar
Carrots 10 cents per quart jar
Beets 10 cents per quart jar
Squash 10 cents per quart jar
Tomatoes 8 cents per quart jar
Fruits (not including sugar) 8 cents per quart jar
A competent trained supervisor will have charge of the kitchen, and volunteer workers will assist in the preparation of products for canning.
The cooperation of all is needed to make Fair- field self supporting in the conservation of fruits and vegetables.
In addition every effort was made to encour- age home canning as well. These cards were dis- tributed widely in Fairfield and throughout Con- necticut.
CONNECTICUT CANNING CORPS Enrollment Card
As a patriotic citizen, desiring to help win the war, I PLEDGE myself to can at least .. quarts of Fruits and Vegetables, thereby saving perishable foods and relieving transportation.
Signature Age (if under 21)
P. O. Address Town
The Food Administration is doing everything in its power to encourage home canning and gives assur- ance that no home canning products will be seized by the Government.
Committee of FOOD SUPPLY
Connecticut State Council of Defense Connecticut Agricultural College County Farm Bur.
A poster at the Fairfield Historical Society reads in this manner:
WOMEN OF AMERICA
Get Busy and
PLANT and
CAN
and
DRY
and SAVE
There were Red Cross Sewing Groups and even the boys and girls were organized to do their bit. Victory Gardens were started in all school districts. Plants and seeds were distribu- ted to the children for their gardens. There were community gardens for the youngster who could not have one in his backyard. Some reports fol- low and these I believe give one a clear picture of this activity.
REPORT ON GARDEN WORK-1917
Enrollment at present date is as follows:
Sherman School (Home Gardens) 54
Sherman School (Community) 32
Lafayette School 23
Dwight School 25
Banks North School 15
Pequot School 75
Washington School 28
Silliman School 82
Lincoln School
31
365
This number will be somewhat increased as appli- cation cards are still coming in.
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Demonstrations and lectures on the preparing of the seed bed, planting the gardens, and planting tomato plants have been distributed to the children.
With the exception of the Silliman School each child has been presented with a button and also a record book in which to keep a complete record of his or her garden.
Each child has received from the Fairfield County Farm Bureau two sets of Literature, the first on how and what to plant in a garden and a garden plan and secondly directions for transplant- ing, thinning and cultivating.
The four acre community plot in Fairfield has been staked out into plots, most of them seventy- five feet by seventy-five feet and the thirty-two boys assigned to their plots. There are about twenty-nine plots and in several cases two boys have one plot together. About two and one half acres of this four acre piece have been planted to potatoes which are now beginning to come up. Nearly one thousand cabbage plants have been planted and approximate- ly five hundred tomato plants. Some of the boys have planted some seeds of their own choice and the rest of the ground will be planted to corn which we have on hand.
REPORT ON GARDEN WORK
Club Work
The following elubs have been formed in the various schools and officers for each have been el- ected by their respective members:
Sherman School-Fairfield
1. Sherman School Vegetable Club
Gustave Erickson, President
2. Fairfield Dirt Diggers Linn Hetzel, President Lafayette School-Mill Plain
3. Mill Plain Garden Club
Lynn Ferris, President Pequot School-Southport
4. Memorial Garden Club
Ralph Garafalo, President
5. Pequot Garden Association John Jennings, President
6. Pequot Junior Gardeners Daniel Knox, President Dwight School-Greenfield Hill
7. Greenfield Hill Home Garden Association Clarence Godfrey, President Lincoln School-Stratfield
8. Lincoln Pioneers
Victor Lukomske, President Washington School-Fairfield
9. Washington Busy Bees
Stanley Fowler, President
One more club is to be formed by the community boys at Sherman School, one more at Banks North and three more at Silliman School, making a total of fourteen clubs in eight schools.
T. B. Schmidt was the Garden Supervisor and he made weekly reports. Pig Clubs too were formed by the children. The Supervisor reported for June 16, 1917:
This week finished up the club organization
work with one exception -- the Banks North School when it was difficult to form the club be- cause of some of its members being located in an- other school (Dwight). This club will be formed next week when all members can be present. Much time has been spent with the community plot boys as the garden needed weeding badly and spraying seemed very necessary. By Saturday afternoon this plot was in very good condition. Mr. Johnson was here twice and visited gardens with me, on which he reported very favorably. He also visited several of the schools and talked of pig club work and we are looking forward to placing a few pigs in this section. Mr. Hollister was here on Friday and at- tended the canning demonstration held at Sherman School by the Fairfield Garden Club under the di- rection of Miss Green.
Next week being the last week of School will be devoted to Club meetings in order to arrange dates and places for meeting throughout the sum- mer. Permission has been obtained to use the schools as meeting places as necessary.
The next week's report showed this addition: "Thirty children have filed notice to join a pig club."
June 28, 1918 had been declared War Sav- ings Enlistment Day by First Selectman Rowe. There were Liberty Bond Rallies throughout Town. Posters advertising the rallies read in this fashion:
RALLY at Church at GREENFIELD HILL October 5, 1918-8 P.M.
Rev. W. B. Lusk of Ridgefield will tell you of Greenfield boys he has seen and talked with in France.
Simon C. Bradley-Greenfield's favorite son will tell you why you ought to buy Liberty Bonds.
The Liberty Chorus of Greenfield will sing the songs you love best.
A RALLY in GREENFIELD is an OCCASION for SHOUTING.
Then there were benefit affairs as well. This one for the benefit of the Red Cross.
May 23, 1918
A large attendance is expected this evening at the rally to be held on Sherman School Green for the Red Cross when Sergeant Major McQueeney and Judge Elmore S. Banks will be the speakers. There will be music and the speech by the Canadian offi- cer will be of the best. McQueeney was in the Battle of Vimy Ridge where so many of the Can- adians were engaged with the Germans, and he has been wounded several times in action.
And another:
A FILM-3 REEL DRAMA JOAN OF PLATTSBURG Liberty Chorus will sing Adm. 25ยข
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Proceeds to be devoted to the Red Cross Monday, May 13th In the Greenfield Hill Church
There is a picture of the Greenfield Hill Lib- erty Chorus in the picture section of this book.
From the Bridgeport Daily Standard Ameri- can-Tuesday, April 23, 1918:
Greenfield Hill gave a stirring demonstration of patriotism last night in a meeting that broke all records for attendance and enthusiasm-and inci- dentally the demonstration took a practical side in the sale of many hundreds of dollars worth of Liber- ty Bonds.
The meeting took place in Greenfield Congrega- tional Church whose white spire on top of the big hill is a landmark for so many miles around. At eight o'clock the church was filled with its record attendance. The gallery, the aisles, organ loft, and every other point of vantage, were jammed. For lack of seats, people crowded out in the lobby and looked in through the windows, and the green out- side the Church, with the multitude of cars upon it, seemed like the parking spacc at one of the big football games.
Of course not all of this great attendance came from Greenfield Hill, for every town for miles around contributed its quota-but it was a meeting of which a sizeable city might be proud.
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