History: History of the Red Cross in Eau Claire Co., WI, 1898 ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, or the legal representative of the contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Nance Sampson 16 March 1999 ==================================================================== First Red Cross Chapter Organized Here in 1898 Organized twice during wartime and participating through the past 70 years in numerous community activities, the Eau Claire chapter, American Red Cross is again spending much of its time doing war work. The International Red Cross was founded in Geneva in 1864 but Eau Claire's part of the history begins in the spring of 1898, with the beginning of the Spanish American War. Following American Red Cross Work in the Ohio Valley in 1884 and 1885, and in the Johnstown Flood, in 1889, Eau Claire women banded together to form a Red Cross Auxiliary to assist the national effort in the Spanish American War and to do something for their sons and husbands in the armed forces. At a mass meeting June 20, 1898, in Putnam Hall, the auxiliary was formed with Mrs. Francis Ide as president, Mrs. George T. Thompson, vice president; Miss May Stevens, treasurer and Miss Mary Cousins, secretary. Mrs. Jane Rust and Miss Jessie McGrath were executive committee members. More than 70 active members began preparation of surgical dressings and hospital garments. Mrs. Thompson, the former Julia Graham Thompson, turned over use of her front parlor as a work room where women tore linen strips, rolled and folded bandages, scraped lint, made nightgowns (before the advent of new-fangled pajamas) and other hospital garments which were packed and shipped for use in the hospitals or in the fields. After the brief period of the Spanish-American War, the industrious, well-organized group voted to disband as a Red Cross Auxiliary, but to reorganize as a City Ambulance Society, to raise funds with which to purchase the community's first ambulance, a beautiful, horse-drawn vehicle built by the town's best carriage maker. Sixteen years later, in 1914, when war broke out in Europe, they again banded together. Concerned with the need for food and clothing by populations driven from their homes and countries, the local women met in early 1915 to form a Red Cross unit through which its efforts to aid could be directed. Charter Granted Application for permission to establish a chapter was ratified in May, 1915, the charter was granted to Eau Claire, its roughly-assigned territory including several northwestern Wisconsin counties. James T. Barber, John Scott, Mrs. A. J. Keith, Mrs. Henry Cousins, W. L. Davis, C. T. Bundy, the Rev. Philip Linley, Mrs. John S. Owen, Mrs. James T. Joyce, Mrs. A. A. Cutter, and H. S. Strandness were charter members. First officers were Mrs. James T. Joyce, chairman, Mrs. A. H. Shoemaker, vice chairman; Miss Clara Lewis, second vice chairman; Mrs. Bertha Levy, third vice chairman; Miss Laura M. Olsen, secretary and Mrs. Marshall Cousins, treasurer. Among early activities were production of 'pads and bandages' according to National Red Cross specification. These with other relief supplies such as clothing, were sent to New York for shipment to Europe. Two thousand books were sent to the Wisconsin regiment, stationed at the Mexican border where hostilities had broken out. Money was raised by means of a dance, to be used for needy families of men in service, and layettes, baby garments, triangular bandages, pads, T-bandages, and dressings were prepared. In addition, a great knitting campaign for civilians and military was begun. In February 1917, when involvement of the United States in the armed conflict was apparent, the Chapter received directions to select a centrally-located headquarters, preferably rent free and to make preparations to carry out war work. Committees for finances, garments, hospitals, surgical supplies, comfort bags, packing, shipping, publicity, information and motor service were named, and an educational committee was set up to secure nurses and doctors as first aid instructors. Herman Schlegelmilch offered the ground floor of his building on the southwest corner of Eau Claire and Barstow streets, to the Chapter headquarters and workrooms, and it was so-used until the end of hostilities in 1918. Early in 1917 a "Junior Branch" the forerunner of the Junior Red Cross was formed by Miss Ella Abercrombie, with Miss Betty Moon as chairman, Miss Petronilla Wilcox, vice chairman; Miss Louisa Wilcox, secretary; and Miss Helene Sommermeyer, treasurer. Services Established During the period before the entry of the United States into the war, several of the services which are not associated with the organization were first established. As early as April 1917, the problem of help and guidance, as well as financial assistance, for families of servicemen had developed into proportions not anticipated. During the pre-entry period, the Chapter's extremely active home service department, later known as the department for Service for Military Families, began organizing its forces. The Eau Claire Chapter became involved, also, in assisting neighboring communities in developing Red Cross Services for themselves. In addition to general advice and guidance obtained by area groups, new chapters, branches and auxiliaries had to be formed in the Eau Claire Chapter's territory. Among the chapters organized and directed by Eau Claire Chapter were Durand, Augusta, Osseo, Owen, Thorp, Stanley, Altoona, Fairchild, Black River Falls, Melrose, Hixton, Sechlerville, Merrillan, Alma Center, North Bend, the Town of Northfield in Jackson County, Strum, Eleva, Stockholm, Sweden, Pepin, Taylor, Mondovi, Allen, Foster, Fall Creek, Modena, Brunswick, Union, Washington, Thompson Valley, Pleasant Valley, Drammen and Cleghorn. When the United States entered the conflict, the Eau Claire Chapter, like Chapters throughout the country, began on a fund drive -- their goal, $30,000. Chapter historians tell a story of the kick-off banquet for the fund drive. "A generous though rather opinionated elderly gentleman agreed to donate $1,000. This news was withheld so that it might be announced with greater effect at the banquet which was held for the workers in the ball room of the Eau Claire (later the Elks Club). At the appropriate moment the chief speaker, after a rather fulsome introduction, made the announcement amid great applause and a standing ovation. The donor rose to respond. As he began, it was evident that something was wrong. In a querulous voice he complained that he did not know what it was all about. Turning to the chief speaker, he said, "Young man, you mumble and I can't understand a word you say." There was an embarrassing pause until he continued as though he had heard something incredible. "Did I hear you tell this company that I had pledged $1,000 to the fund?" The chief speaker, pale with apprehension, replied in an unsteady voice, "Yes, sir, that is what I understood." The old gentleman, his face purple with indignation, shouted, "I never said anything of the kind." A great silence fell upon the whole assembly. Every heart stood still. What would happen to the drive if the great announcement should not be true? The old gentleman continued, his voice petulant. "I did not say $1,000! I said $10,000." There was no further need for indoctrination of workers in that drive." Other projects established and conducted by the local chapter in 1918 was a station canteen at the Chicago and Northwestern Railway station which served servicemen in transit by rail. Some 1564 meals were served between June and October of 1919 alone. During the 1918 Spanish influenza epidemic, the Chapter, together with the Eau Claire Women's Club, established a soup kitchen from which food was delivered to some 350 persons, and in 1920 a similar operation was set up for a second outbreak of the flu. During the period following war years, the Chapter began work on Visiting Nurse projects, purchasing an automobile for that use. Other local health projects included the anti-Tuberculosis clinics, better baby clinics, dental clinics, establishment of a confidential exchange for social agencies, promotion of the Welfare council, predecessor of the County Coordinating Council and participating in school lunch programs and orthopedics clinics. They aided disaster victims in the 1922 St. Croix, Dunn, Polk and Barron counties tornado; the 1924 Clark-Taylor counties tornado, and the later one which struck Osseo and Augusta. During the Depression years, they collected, cleaned, repaired and distributed great quantities of clothing, household goods, and furniture, spending hours making quilts, surgical dressings and layettes. Home canning classes were conducted with the assistance of Northern States Power Co. and large quantities of canned fruits and vegetables were processed. The Chapter was also the designated channel through which the Federal Government distributed flour and cotton cloth. The Second World War brought further work with servicemen and their families, and fund raising projects. A Canteen was maintained at the YMCA for servicemen and draftees, and camp and hospital service corps for Camp McCoy, and committees to aid with nurse recruitment, prisoners of war, accident prevention, blood donations and finally, the large, trained Home Service Corps, the Gray Ladies, was utilized. Following the war, the Chapter has instituted several major new projects. A large part of the Chapter's budget has been directed to the support of the blood program to which the National Red Cross has been committed since just after the war. The Eau Claire Chapter has been working since 1951 on the project. In 1962, a new safety program was initiated in the city with the cooperation of the city fire department. All city firemen received extensive training from National Red Cross safety experts qualifying them to conduct first aid classes on all levels, junior, standard and advanced. --Taken from the Eau Claire Leader / The Daily Telegram, Progress Edition, 1968