Three days after the United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917, 15 Keene men, most of them seniors at Keene High School, had signed up for the U.S. Navy and were ready to ship out the next day.
According to the April 9, 1917 Keene Evening Sentinel, the students were all in their teens, but “full in their patriotism.”
A week before the declaration of war on Germany, the Keene militia looked to add bodies to their unit to maximize peace strength. State militias, or military forces, were formed by the National Guard starting in 1914. As war approached, more men were needed for New Hampshire’s branch.
Man. Married. Of good strength. 18 to 45 years old.
These qualifications were given by the Adjutant General of New Hampshire, the senior military officer who commands the state’s military forces. While 150 of these men were being recruited, “a patriotic mass meeting rallied in Keene.” Citizens came out to support President Woodrow Wilson’s decision to go to war.
The meeting took place at City Hall, which stood in the same location it currently does — 3 Washington St., exactly where Central Square meets Washington St. at the end of Main St. in downtown Keene.
For the Keene residents left behind, the first year of America’s involvement in the war produced a home front defined by sacrifice and civic or financial contributions.
Next door to City Hall, at 16 Central Square, was the Keene Gas & Electric Co. The company was the first to start supporting President Wilson and the declaration of war. “Join the Plant a Garden Army,” an advertisement read. “Do your part to prepare the country against disaster. A garden full of good things to eat makes you secure against advances in price by many food necessities.”
In May, Wilson appointed Herbert Hoover director of the Food Administration Act, an effort to ration food, increase its rate of production and equally distribute it to citizens, troops and allies.
Throughout the month, Keene residents supported the act by making “comfort kits” for the troops and planting seeds in gardens to produce more food.
Citizens were asked to increase crops and save food, seed, labor and land.
The Keene Evening Sentinel exhorted citizens to the fact, “the whole nation is awakening to the fact that there is a shortage of food; the starvation is possible and even probable unless immediate measures are taken to conserve what we have and to produce more.”
On May 10, 1917, the City of Keene held another mass meeting about “food production and safety of the city.”
The city held the meeting to ensure there would not be any starvation during the time of the war, when prices would significantly increase.
In a time when a loaf of bread was 5 cents, a box of chocolate candy was 39 cents and a half pint of potatoes was 25 cents, the people of Keene showed many levels of sacrifice.
Sacrifice food, sacrifice money, or sacrifice a life; these were the options Keene residents faced in June 1917. Various ways to make these sacrifices were provided. However, for those who gave a life, June 5 was a special day — a day many residents would not forget.
At 7 a.m., church bells rang in Registration Day. A large American Flag was raised as a number of men registered.
In accordance to the Selective Service Act of 1917, all male inhabitants aged 21 to 31, alien or citizen, had to register. The federal government needed to increase the number of men in a national army for America’s entry into the war.
By 2 p.m., 576 Keene men had registered for the draft.
By June 6, 792 men had done their civic duty. The City of Keene had the most men register in Cheshire County, with Walpole a distant second with 205 men.
As these men offered their lives, other citizens offered their money. While citizens tirelessly planted seeds and picked crops, all local banks were advertising for people to also purchase Liberty Loans, war bonds used to support America’s efforts in World War I.
According to FederalReserveHistory.com, citizens bought loans that would be paid back to them after the war. The money was used by the government to help fund America’s military efforts. By June 6, $200,000 worth of Liberty Loans had been purchased by Keene citizens.
Buying a Liberty Loan was how citizens showed their patriotism for their country. Also, they could purchase a five-by-eight foot American flag from the Keene Skirt Company, or they could donate dollars to the government.
The month of July brought draft messages to Cheshire County.
During this time, registered men were actually drafted into the war and for Keene, their draft numbers stayed small because on July 21, the first draft day for Keene, citizens were informed that only four Keene men were drafted into the nation-wide army of 687,000 men.
All registrants were given a number, and numbers were picked randomly for the draft.
“The smallness of the number was a surprise, but a very welcome one,” a Keene Evening Sentinel article said. The first man drafted, Guy T. Tacy, would start a trend for the rest of the month of a select few men being chosen.
Three days later, it was announced that Keene gained a small draft quota again; with Cheshire County having the smallest numbers in the state.
In total, by the end of the process on July 25, 2,300 men from the County were drafted.
At 6 a.m. the next day, a record-breaking crowd gathered on Main St. and Central Square. They were sending off the soldiers to “somewhere in France.”
Summer, today, still brings times of happiness and camaraderie.
In 1917, times were no different. On Aug. 16, the Red Cross organized a patriotic concert at Normal Hall, a Keene State College academic hall at the time, at 8 p.m. Admission was 25 cents, all proceeds went to making comfort kits and gifts for the soldiers.
These included toothbrushes, toothpaste, pencils, thread, soap, mirrors, jackknives, combs and handkerchiefs.
According to the Keene Evening Sentinel, “there was a small audience but the concert was a success.”
Along with a 28-person chorus, soloists performed well-known songs to boost spirits. Perhaps the most anticipated song of the night, “The Star Spangled Banner,” was performed by soloist Annie Chadon. She also performed a popular song at the time, “Sweet and Low.”
Other soloists included Alvira Casillo, who sang patriotic songs and “Love’s Old Sweet Song,” and Marion Parker with “Blue Bells of Scotland.”
As the singers faced a supportive crowd, the members of the First New Hampshire Regiment, who were not even in battle yet, faced tough conditions at camp.
Stationed in Concord, food was scarce and the men needed to clear away stumps and brush in order to create a base camp.
They performed tough training, including digging trenches, and lacked uniforms to wear. “Many had to work in their ‘Sunday clothes’ which were all they had.”
However, according to an early August edition of the Keene Evening Sentinel, conditions were beginning to brighten up, partially as a result from the citizens back home in Keene.
The concert helped the Red Cross order 200 more comfort kits for the troops. On Aug. 21, they were sent to soldiers in New Hampshire camps.
In September, another movement to comfort and support the soldiers began.
The camps were requesting books and magazines, so that the soldiers could continue reading.
The material would help speed the lonely hours, and the goal was to provide them with a library. “Books Banish Blues,” a Sept. 22 ad read.
On Oct. 12, cablegrams said, “Keene men were safe in Europe and began to have a sense of security.”
Despite this, the soldiers were still in need.
October weather brought a cold, rainy and windy atmosphere to Keene. The month also brought the second Liberty Loan efforts.
According to the Museum of American Finance, when businesses were initially advertising for Liberty Loans, they were working for the federal government’s First Liberty Bond Act.
October brought the Second Liberty Bond Act, which was organized because the first did not raise enough money to fund the war efforts.
The government tried again with advertising likely to get most citizens’ attention.
One October ad from the Liberty Loan Committee of New England read, “Can You Sleep Tonight knowing that young Americans across the water are hurling their living bodies against steel bayonets for your protection that they are facing poison gas and liquid flame to keep America safe, fighting that our women may not be the playthings and our homes the plunder of autocratic militarists and You Have not Bought a Bond [Loan]?”
Loans were sold at $1 a week and could be purchased at any local bank. On Oct. 26, the banks stayed open late to accommodate Liberty Loan purchasers on the final day. On Oct. 29, it was reported the Liberty Loan total for Cheshire Country was $738,450. A total of 2,578 people had donated. Keene had the highest donation of the county, totaling $545,750. Marlborough was second with $47,550.
While the Second Liberty Loan Act came to a close, citizens were still asked to support the war. On Nov. 9, a community meeting was held at City Hall. According to an article from this day by the Keene Evening Sentinel, the goal was to “show appreciation for your boys.”
Participants at the meeting discussed the Red Cross’s efforts to give every soldier a Christmas present.
Six days later, the deadline for donating to this cause resulted in over $1,000 raised.
Nonetheless, there was even more efforts of conservation and support. The Food Administration Act was on-going, and the federal government had volunteers make public demonstrations about conserving food and increasing patriotism.
Irene Weed, the Hoover food demonstrator for Keene, said there needed to be extended effort to conserve fats for the war on Nov. 26.
Some local businesses were in full support, as a restaurant called BON TON’s ad read, “meatless and wheatless days.” The restaurant worked with local hotels to have a few of these nights every week where people did not eat meat and made bread with other grains.
The efforts from the citizens were appreciated by the soldiers, however, the worst of the war had yet to come and support was a continuous need.Capt. Walter C. Ellis of Co. H, affirmed this in a letter home to his wife. He wrote, “If it were not for the Y.M.C.A., letters from the boys over here would be few and far between. They are doing a great work for the boys and should receive the hearty support of the people over home. Their huts are furnishing the only places where the men can get warm, and they are giving away all the paper and envelopes.”
The Keene Evening Sentinel then added, “Have you helped your bit yet?” While the soldiers were thankful, they remained in need. As the year came to a close, the support continued. The Keene Red Cross held a dance to further help the soldiers. Attendance rose to a record-setting number for any Keene dance, and proceeds went to the Keene soldiers.
While the new year would bring new battles, the amount of support needed from hometown Keene remained the same. Citizens would still be asked to sacrifice food, money and more. Some would even sacrifice their lives.
In fact, it would be another seven months before Keene residents learned news about the first battle death of one of their own.