The Collection and Preservation of County War Records War Records Section Illinois State Historical Library Springfield, Illinois The Collection and Preservation of County War Records War Records Section Illinois State Historical Library _, Springfield, Illinois I0 57O SOHNEPP & Barnes, Printers Springfield. III. 1919. *>. Of D. •10V 22 t9i3 THE COLLECTION AND PRESERVATION OF COUNTY WAR RECORDS THE HISTORY OF ILLINOIS IN THE WAR The legislature of Illinois at its recent session passed an act which rendered possible the establishment of a War Records Section under the auspices of the State Historical Library, charged with the duty of making a state-wide survey tor the gathering of historical material pertaining to the war. The task which has been undertaken by the War Records Section resolves itself into two phases: (1) The gathering of material pertaining to the State as a whole in a central collection at the State capital, and ("3) The collection in local deposi- tories of material pertaining to the \ariotis counties of the State. The suggestions contained in this pamphlet are for the information and guidance of those persons and agencies engaged in the second phase ol this task, namely, the collection and preservation of county war records. PURPOSE OF COLLECTING COUNTY WAR RECORDS The reasons wliy it is desirable that these records should be lire- served are obvious. In the first place, what more fitting memorial can be erected to those who worked, fought, or died in the service of their country than a permanent collection which will preser\'e for all time the memory of their deeds! ^Moreover, the information which will l)e gathered will be absolutely necessary to the futtire historian. Much of it will be recpiired for the pin-])ose of writing the history of the State in the Great War, for which the W'av T'iecords Section is making preparation. In addition to any sentimental value which these county records may possess, they also reveal how the iieople reacted to the great national war policies and they will preserve a vast amount of information concerning social, industrial and political conditions which may be of the greatest value in some future emergency. But this work must be done now or never. If further time is lost the task- will be im]30ssible of fulfillment. Other states are preserving their historical records and county collections are being assembled in Minne- sota, Wisconsin. Indiana. Kentucky and elsewhere. Illinois, which has alwavs been a leader in such enterprises, cannot afford to lag lie- hind. DESCRIPTION OF THE MATERIAL DESIRED The following suggcsl ions will indicate the kind of material which should be [)reserved by the \arious counties. While the list is not comjilete it will serve as a basis tipon which to begin work. Records of the State Council of Defense and Related Organizations These records consist of formal reijorts, minutes, correspondence, nnd printed material of all sorts pertaining to the work of the local committees of the Council, including; circulars and instructions from the State headquarters. Such material may be obtained from the former chairmen of the committees. Following is a list of the committees of the Council which were organized in most of the counties of the State at one time or another. Executive Committee. County Auxiliary. Woman's Committee. Neighborhood Committee. Publicity Committee. Food Production and Conser\ation Committee. County Finance Committee. Highways Transport Committee (organized by districts and divisions) . Commercial Econoni)' Administration (organized by towns and cities). Non-war Construction Bureau. Legal Advisory Board. There were also several more or less independent agencies, which were organized by counties, and which co-operated with the State Council of Defense. The most important of these were as follows : American Red Cross. Four Minute Men. U. S. Food Administration. U. S. Vue\ Administration. U. S. Boys' Working Reserve. U. S. War Savings Committee. American Protective League. Liberty Loan Committee. The committees and agencies enumerated above, including those which were a part of the State Council of Defense, were organized in nearly every county, and if there is difficulty in locating their records, the names of the chairmen can in most instances be obtained on request fmni the War Records Section. Every person engaged in collecting county war records should secure a copy of the Final Report of the State Council of Defense of Illinois, which contains a large amount of useful information. Cojjies of this re])ort can be obtained from the Illinois State Historical Library. Collectors of county war records will find it heljjful as a preliminary to their work to compile a local directory of these organizations, together with a list of their members, to be used as a guide in gathering material. There were other agencies which had no actual county organiza- tion liut whose activities nuist not be overlooked. The names of the more important ones follow : Y. M. C. A. SaK'atioii Army. Knights of Columlnis. Jewish Welfare Board. \\'ar Camp Community Service. Y. \V. C. A. Records of Men in the Service I.\i)i\'inuAL Sekvici; Recorils. Alany counties are compiHng individual service, records for the men who served in the army, navy, or marine corps, and it is tirged that this be done wherever possible. The War Records Section has prepared a model form which those counties which have not yet begun work may find it convenient to adopt, making any changes which may be considered desirable. A sufficient number of these forms can be obtained at small cost from a local printer. Roll of Hoxok of Those Who Died ix the Service. The county should by all means compile a roll of honor, including the names and if possible the ])hotographs of all those who gave their lives to their country, together with a complete record of their service. Letters and Diaries of Men in the Service. This material will be extremely valuable in years to come and will be used exten- sively by the War Records Section in writing the history of Illinoi.s in the war. Citations for BRAVER^■ and Distinguished Service. Service Records of AIen in Foreign Armies. This informa- tion is of particular value since the records of the ^^'ar Department contain no data concerning these men. Chronicles of the Selective Draft. These were prepared by members of draft boards for the Provost Marshal General. Copies may in many instances be obtained from the members of the local boards and exemption boards. Publicity and Information Material Newspapers. As comjilelc files as possible of all county news- papers should be obtained. War Posters. These include Red Cross, Liberty Loan, and other ijosters. War Information Pamphlets. Food and Fuel Regulations. These are usually in the form of printed circulars, posters, etc. ANTI-\^^^R Propaganda, if any. Records of Local Institutions Nearly e\ery local organization of importance did war work of some sort, a record of which has been preserved in the shape of lirinled material, formal reports, or in various other ways. The fol- lowing list of such organizations is merely suggestive: Schools and Colleges. Churches. Libraries. Women's Clubs. Chambers of Commerce. Industrial Activities 'Ihis material \\ill lie of great variety and the local situation will furnish the best guide to the collector's activities. Special at- tention should be given to war work done by manufacturing plants and to agricultural societies, war gardens, etc. Relics and Trophies There are many material objects which cannot properly be desig- nated as war records which yet possess great historical interest. Such objects include weapons and military equipment of various kinds, flags, medals, insignia, German helmets, etc. Oftentimes county his- torical agencies will be able to secure gifts of such relics simply by announcing that they are desired. They serve to stimulate popular interest and may in many cases be made the nucleus of a collection of war records. Methods of Collecting Material No hard and fast rules can be laid down for the organization of the task of collecting war records in any particular county. The local situation will necessarily determine the method of work. The War Records Section desires to avoid duplication of efifort in all cases and it is the intention to carry on the work so far as possible through agencies which are already active. The facilities available in the vari- ous counties will also Ije a determining factor. In practically e\-ery case it will be found advisable to form a committee or working organization large enough to handle efficiently the various details of the project: how large the committee ought to be will depend upon local conditions. A convenient method of collect- ing records pertaining to organized war activities is to designate some person to be responsible for the material pertaining to each of these activities. Persons who were associated with the various war service organizations will in nearly all cases be willing to assist in gathering the materials connected with their work and it is urged that their services be utilized wherever possible. It will also be found advisable in most counties to appoint certain persons to represent various towns and localities, for the purpose of gathering material for the county war records collection. The number of persons whose services can be effectively used is practically unlimited as the historical committee does not need to be a complicated organization. The members of the committee will usually perform their duties in a satisfactory manner if they arc clearly inslructcil in what is desired of them. Local public libraries and librarians will nearl\- always be found helpful and valu- able assistance can generally be secured from the public librarian at the county seat. Many libraries have already undertaken the collec- tion of certain kinds of war material on their own responsibility. The expense involved in the colleclioia of county war records need not be great, but small sums may be required for ]iostage, sta- tionery and facilities for filing" and preserving records. As one method of meeting this small expense, it is suggested that the liisiorical committee request the County Board of Su])ervisors to grant the sum considered necessary. This is already being done in certain counties, and if the matter is proi)erly presented to the Board of Super\isors it is not believed that tliere will be any difficulty in obtaining their assent. In certain counties other means of secm-ing the necessary funds will suggest themselves. It is most important that the ijersons engaged in gathering mater- ial give their work as much publicity as possible through the news- papers, schools, churches, etc. I'eople living in the community will gladly assist if they are shown how their services can be of value. It has happened repeatedly that people have had in their possession valuable records which they were glad and even relieved to turn over to some responsible agency as soon as it was brought to their attention that the material was desired. The following suggestions are offered with respect to the gather- ing of sjjecific kinds of material. In the case of the various county committees which have been enumerated, the records can in most instances be obtained through the former chairmen, a list of whose names will be furnished by the War Records Section if desired. Data jjertaining to individual Service records should be obtained from the men themselves or their relatives. If it is desired to secure informa- tion concerning the war activities of any particular organization such as a church, school, or chamber of commerce, it may be fotind con- venient to invite the institution in question to designate some person to co-operate with the historical committee and sup])ly the required data. Preservation of Material It is e.xtremely important that a safe, convenient, and permanent depository be provided for the material gathered. If this is not done the wdiole piu'pose of the undertaking will be defeated and it will only be a <|uestion of time before the records are lost. iV suitable deposi- tory can usually be provided at the county court house, the public library at the county seat, or at the rooms occupied by the county historical society. This matter should be attended to as early as possi- ble, Ijefore the work of collecting has been completed. Xewspaper files should be bound wherever possible while news- paper clippings may be preserved in large scrap-books. Loose papers in the form of correspondence, reports, minutes, etc., should be classi- fied and kept in vertical filing cases or cabinets. Pamphlets, circulars, etc.. may be kept in j)asteboard or cloth file boxes made for the pur- pose. Colleclions of war posters should be mounted on clotli in such a way as to prevent tearing. Publication of County War Histories The War Records .Section has received numerous requests for suggestions relative to the publication of county war histories. It is extremely desirable that wherever possible each county publish a his- tory of its part in the war. This has already been done in several Illinois counties with most gratifying results. If it is announced that such a project is to be undertaken, it will greatly stimulate popular interest in the task of gathering material. Moreover, a volume in which will appear the names and records of those who have rendered war service will constitute as fitting a memorial as a bronze tablet or monument. Any county war history will necessarily present two phases (1) It will contain a description of the various agencies which performed war work, rosters of names, institutions, etc. (2) It will include an account of the work performed by these organizations and persons together with a narrative of important events in the county during the war. The writer should not be content to name the personnel and describe the organization of the Food Production and Conserva- tion Committee, for example. He should tell what it did, which will include a description of food conditions within the county and the story of what the committee accomplished by way of relief. An outline for a county history must necessarily be only tenta- tive but the following topics are suggested in the hope that they will convey some ideas with reference to the scope of such a history and concerning methods of arrangement. Suggested Topics for County War History Public Opinion, 191-1-191:. Character of the local population, including foreign elements. Popular attitude toward European War. Representative newspaper editorials on war. including submarine issue, etc. The County .\nd the Nation's Fighting Forces. Voluntary enlistments. Recruiting campaigns. History of local national guard units. The National Army. Local draft machinery and its operation. Attitude toward the draft — draft evaders, conscientious ob- jectors, pleas for exemption. Chronicles of the Selective Draft — to be obtained from local board members. The Navy. The Marine Corps. Home Defense Organizations. County Roll of Honor. Men who laid down their lives. Citations for distinguished service. County Organiz.^tions Under the St.\te Council of Defense. The county committees, their organization and personnel. Methods of work. Results accomplished by various committees. Relief .\M) \\'elf.\re Work. .\nierican Red Cross. Y. M. C. A. Salvation Army. Knights of Columbus. Jewish Welfare Board. .American Librarv .Association. Y. W. C. A, \\'ar Camp Comnnmity Service. .Allied and other foreign relief work'. In treating the topics enumerated above, the following informa- tion should be included: local organization, if any: kjcal leaders' methods of obtaining funds: and results accomplished. County War Finance. I^iberty Loan Committees. War Savings Stamps and Thrift Stamps. United War Work Campaign. County Finance Committees. Taxation in the county. r\lolilLIZATION AMI Co.NSERVATION OF ECONOMIC RESOURCES. County Food Administrator and his work. County Fuel Administrator and his work. Manufacturing and other industries rendering war service. .Agricultural activities. Methods of increasing crop production. U. S. Boys' Working Reser\e. Woman's Land .Armv. Labor conditions. "Work or Fight" oriler. I^ocal employment service. .Seizures by .Alien Lrojierty Custoflian. Luiii.ic Opinion and the ^\'.\K. The news])a])ers of the county. Public meetings. I'our .Minute Men. .American Rrotectixe League. .Services reuflercd liy clnirches, schools rnid other local institu- tions. Pro-Cierman sentiment. 10 Registration of enemy aliens. Prosecution of disloyal persons. NoN-MiLiTAKY Service. Citizens holding important government positions. Distinguished ])rofessional service. Reconstruction. Effects of the Armistice. Return of men from active service. Homecoming celebrations. The American Legion. War Mothers' Association. Cooperation with War Records Section The Secretary of the War Records Section stands ready at all times to give any assistance in his power to those who are engaged in the task of collecting war material in the various counties. There will on the other hand be numerous occasions when the Secretary will be obliged to call upon county historical agencies for assistance in gather- ing the material to be used in writing the history of the State in the war. It is hoped that such requests will meet with a ready and willing response, inasmuch as the State and the various counties are occupied with two phases of the same big project. It will be essential that the W^ar Records Sccti(jn keep in close touch with the work being done throughout the State and it is hoped that each individual county will keep the Secretary informed at frequent intervals of ])rogress which is being made. W.wNE E. Stevens, Secretary. War Records Section, Illinois State Historical Library, Sijringtield, Illinois. LIBRftRY OF CONGRESS 020 933 557 8 *