War Works: April 2, 1917, the Sunday before the United States declared war on Germany, ministers across St. Joseph preached of the importance of supporting the war effort in the years to come. At the end of the war, the United War Work Campaign brought together the American Library Association, Jewish Welfare Board, Knights of Columbus, the Salvation Army, War Camp Community Service, Young Men’s Christian Association and Young Women’s Christian Association. This organization rose over $170 million to provide leisure activities for the troops who remained in Europe well into 1919. Providing books, theatrical performances, and music, the United War Work Campaign allowed community members to be active in the war effort.
YWCA: The Young Women’s Christian Association of St. Joseph was founded in 1888. They offered classes in French, Spanish, German, English, literature, domestic science, dressmaking, home nursing, and physical training for local women and St. Joseph’s immigrant population. Members visited women who worked in factories and stores as an outreach for their program, providing an opportunity for local women to meet socially and contribute to the community. A dormitory was erected at 304 N 8th St. in 1914 to provide a safe haven for working women in St. Joseph.
The heavy demand for women workers during WWI led to the development of factory towns devoid of entertainment or leisure activities. The YWCA provided “blue triangle buildings”: community centers where working women could come together and share their experiences, socialize, and cooperate in building a community. The program was so successful that it was exported to help the women munitions workers in France. Faced with the war head on and and the low social status of workers, and the aristocracy in Europe, the women of France had little to no support from their government and struggled to survive in the harsh conditions of the factories. The Foyer des Alliees helped to raise awareness and support for the workers of France.
Following the success of the YWCA during the war, members sought to continue their progress, aiding in civil and workers’ rights in the post-war era. They fought for an eight hour workday, one day off per week, minimum wage, and equal pay for equal work. Through the development of communities and fight for equal rights, the YWCA fueled the suffragette movement of the post-war, leading to the 19th Amendment in 1920.
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Letters Home: American soldiers sent letters and postcards from Europe to keep in touch with their families back home. Soldiers usually reported details of their daily experiences, ranging from the weather, to meals, to European architecture. Military censors scanned all outgoing letters for information that might be useful to the enemy or disturbing to civilians. Letters that reported the location or number of troops, graphic descriptions of battle, or low morale were confiscated.
Mail was sent along a complex shipping system consisting of mail carriers on foot, horses, trucks, ocean liners, and railroads. Once letters reached the U.S., they were shipped by the Railway Mail Service and processed at Terminal Railway Post Offices, which existed in Kansas City, Springfield, St. Joseph, and St. Louis. It could take several months for letters from the battlefront to reach American households.
News: When the U.S. entered WWI, all radio signals were diverted for military purposes. St. Joseph boys were ordered to discontinue the six local stations on April 9, 1917. As radios were not prevalent in American households, news of the war was disseminated through the press. In 1917, the Committee on Public Information was created to mobilize public opinion in favor of the war effort. Newspapers and journals, like the letters soldiers sent home, were subject to censorship. Only 80 American reporters were granted access to the front. Military censors vetted their reports and monitored civilian photographers, banning the publication of images determined to be too harmful to domestic or troop morale. The Espionage Act, passed in May 1917, gave power to the Postmaster General to censor materials sent through the mail, which included any material that challenged the U.S. entry into WWI.
African American Home Front: When war was declared, the African American community of the city stepped forward to do their part. There was talk of creating an African American company from St. Joseph, but many volunteers were incorporated into units at Camp Funston in Leavenworth, KS. Physician Dr. Fenton Goodson served at the camp and became a lieutenant in the medical corps. Dr. Goodson maintained two offices in St. Joseph, one at 318 W. Missouri Ave. and the other at 405 ½ Felix St. The African American community also participated in the home front, taking part in war bond sales and food card distribution. Local churches served as organizers for patriotic programming and support efforts across the city.
Red Cross: The American Red Cross was founded in 1881 by Clara Barton. Barton had served in the International Red Cross during the Franco-Prussian War, which led to the unification of Germany, and brought her knowledge to America. With governmental support, most specifically from President Taft, the Red Cross was able to organize the Nursing Service, a reserve of trained nurses prepared to deploy in the event of war. The Red Cross was called upon when the U.S. entered WWI, and St. Joseph answered the call. Reports of nurses from St. Joseph heading to Europe continually appear in the city’s newspapers throughout the war. The American Red Cross and our local chapter not only sent nurses overseas, but also prepared and sent medical supplies and care packages. The St. Joseph Red Cross was specifically commended for the quality of bandages it sent overseas.