Richland Women Mobilize for the War Effort
As World War I dominates civic life, Richland residents rally to establish a local Red Cross auxiliary and raise funds for the front.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The women of Richland will organize a Red Cross society on Friday afternoon of this week. A committee of ten women was appointed to assist the men in any way possible in securing the Richland apportionment, and the best method they could devise was to start a society here to do sewing and other necessary work when material could be secured. Every woman in the district should attend this meeting to be held at the city park at three o'clock Friday afternoon, June 22, for the purpose of forming the Richland branch of the Red Cross. All social activities and a great deal of business has been abandoned during this week in the interests of the Richland Red Cross drive. Prominent men throughout the valley have gladly donated their services in the cause and are covering the territory in cars, seeing each family individually in order that everyone may have an opportunity to donate in proportion to their means. Richland's contribution will be $600.00 as proportioned out by the county committee and there is little doubt that this will be raised as great enthusiasm has been evidenced by everyone in the district.
“It is up to the people who stay at home to see that they do their share toward making it possible for them to be properly taken care of on the battlefields.”
This mobilization reflects the immense pressure on local communities during the Great War to provide both funds and labor. Today, this kind of rapid, unified civic response is often mirrored in local grassroots disaster relief or mutual aid networks.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.