Remembering WWI - The Great War
Click for Calender of Events and Photos
On Thursday, February 1st at noon there was a meeting in Taggart Hall 
to plan commemoration activities throughout Hampshire County marking our participation in the First World War. The point was made at the meeting that WWI dramatically affected all Hampshire County citizens and affected almost all aspects of community and family life. This makes it relatively simple for organizations and individuals to design a commemoration activity that is suited to their interest and expertise.
A second meeting was held in Capon Bridge on February 27th. Several initiatives were discussed and the VFW representative gave a brief summary of what they are planning for a celebration in Romney on Armistice Day (Veterans Day). Please see the list of suggested events below to get ideas on how your organization can participate. Check the Calendar page occasionally to see what has been planned. We are hoping that many activities will be planned for the period from July 4th to November 11th even if they are as simple as decorating businesses and homes with flags and banners or lending photos and memorabilia for display.
Two further meetings were held, one on June 12th and the final one on October 25th. These set the time for later events and finalized the details for the events. Elizabeth Podsiadlo was in charge of the music event planned for November 3rd at the Hampshire Co-op. A. W. Bennett and Mayor Keadle were responsible for the November 11th events at the Doughboy Statue, Commemoration Park and the Bottling Works. See the Calendar page for programs and some photos.
Below is a listing of some of the activities that were suggested for the commemoration. See the calendar page for planned events.
Calendar Page
Needed: Photos of Soldiers and WWI souvenirs
and mementoes - contact us below!
Suggested Events and Projects
- Poster campaign
- Library reading lists and events; see #4 under Resources
- Military equipment displays
- Victory Garden projects
- Wheatless Wednesdays lunches
- Red Cross displays & activities
- Knitting circles
- School social studies projects
- USO dance
- Lectures
- Movies/videos (fiction & documentaries)
- Concert of WWI music
- Story telling event highlighting family involvement
- Photo scanning event of local family WWI pictures
- Activity highlighting the Red Cross involvement
- Ringing Church bells on the 11th hour of the 11 day of the 11th month
- Decorating graves and cleaning markers of WWI veterans
- ....
Items in red are priorities needing a sponsor
"Get Involved" Poster #1.1 - right click to download and print
11x17 & 8½x11 inch WWI posters to save and print.
Hampshire Review articles on several WWI subjects
Hampshire's WWI dead listed on Courthouse Statue
Resources & Suggestions
Below are some resources to give you ideas for 
activities that could be done in Hampshire County. Peruse the items below. For example: #2 shows public domain posters available from the Library of Congress which you can download, crop and resize and get printed at Staples or any print shop for less than $2. Listing #4 shows what programs, speakers and music have been used in Virginia last year for events; #4 gives a good list of books and movies dealing with The Great War. Below the references is a book reading list from the Hampshire County Library available in Romney.
by the U.S. World War One Centennial Commission
- U.S. World War One Centennial Commission - NOTE: on opening page mouse over the "Educate" tab in top menu bar and wait for drop down window with links. Do not just click on the tab since links are in the drop down window - not on the Educate page.
- WWI Posters available from the Library of Congress
- Last year's events in nearby Virginia show what can be done.
- World War I in America by the Library of America; good book event source
- U.S. Archives WWI resources
- Military Resources: World War I - ALIC (National Archives)
- Education Resources from the National World War I Museum and Memorial
- WWI Propaganda Posters
- American Food Posters at good-potato.com
- Great War Association reenactor events
- How WWI food propaganda forever changed the way Americans eat
- PBS web page on the Great War. Note there are many subjects covered in this expansive overview of WWI.
- History Net index page on WWI
- Centaire.org a French web site on the Great War. This link is to the English language version. Covers many aspects of the war in many pages.
- Wheatless and Meatless Menus and Recipes, a recipe book by Alice Bradley, 1918 (various eBook downloads by Google)
- Wheatless and Meatless Days, by Partridge and Conklin, 1918 (various eBook downloads from archive.org)
- ....
Reading list from the Romney Library - pdf file can be downloaded
Vintage WWI Audio at www.FirstWorldWar.com; audio & lyrics - Click on a year for list of songs!
We have a page of some lyrics from popular songs.
Taps - bugle call
Taps from www.music.army.mil/music/buglecalls/taps.asp - Right Click on Player to save mp3 file
Timeline:
- July 28, 1914 Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (heir to the throne of Austria and Hungary) is assassinated
- July 28,1914: Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and WW1 begins
- May 7, 1915: The Lusitania was sunk
- 15 September 1916 First use of tanks in the Battle of the Somme
- November 28, 1916: First German air raid over London
- February 1, 1917: Germany declared unrestricted submarine warfare
- March, 1917 John J. Cornwell is sworn in for a second term as Govenor of West Virginia
- April 6, 1917: USA declared war on Germany
- June 25, 1917 First US troops arrive in France.
- December 11, 1917 Britain liberates Jerusalem, ending 673 years of Turkish rule.
- January 8, 1918: Woodrow Wilson outlines his Fourteen Points
- July 15, 1918: Second Battle of Marne was started beginning the collapse of the German army
- September 27,1918 The Battle of St Quentin - British and American troops pierce the Hindenburg Line
- November 9, 1918: Kaiser William II abdicated
- The 11th Hour of the 11th Day of the 11th Month, 1918: End of WW I (the Great War) when the Armistice was signed at Redonthes in France
- December 13, 1918 Americans cross the Rhine and occupy the bridgehead at Coblenz.
- January 18, 1919 Paris Peace Conference begins.
- January 25, 1919 Principle of a League of Nations ratified.
- June 28, 1919 Treaty of Versailles signed.
- July 3, 1919 Pvt. Elza M. Saville dies "Coblenz, Germany, Aged 19 yrs"
- January 1921 Clifton Bean is laid to rest in Hampshire County
- May 13, 1928 The Doughboy statue is dedicated at the Hampshire County Courthouse
- September , 1937 Hampshire Review publishes supplement on WWI
Detailed Chronology of WWI from Library of American History From the Discovery of America to the Present Time by Edward S. Elli - .pdf file
Working Draft Hampshire County Casualties of WWI on Doughboy statue plaque
