World War l: Big Brother in Kewaunee County

"Big Brother" has been around longer than anybody thinks. In 1918, the name for it was Kewaunee County Council of Defense. The U.S. entered World War l. Edward Seyk was Chairman of Liberty Loans and War Saving Stamps Campaign. Dr. W.M. Wochos chaired the 2nd Red Cross Campaign. A.B. Leyse chaired the 3rd Liberty Loan campaign and had drafted 310 men to give their best for the war effort. However, it was not a draft in the sense of military.

It took 2 1/2 months to determine the worth of every Kewaunee County property owner so as to assess their share of war activities. Share meant money. Loan assessments were made using the tax rolls. A rate of 3% of individual valuation was expected to bring in $600,000 thus providing the county with 100% of the Liberty Loan assessment. However, the 3rd Liberty Loan brought $990,650, or 302% of the assessment. Kewaunee County won the distinction of leading the entire 7th Federal Reserve District, which included parts of Wisconsin and Michigan and all of Illinois, Iowa and Indiana. Council minutes indicate that a Montpelier German was the only man in the county who failed to accept his $50 loan allotment. The county's assessment for the 2nd Red Cross Drive was $5,000. The drive did not have any delinquents, or at least none who were listed in the minutes.

Such assessments did not give a man credit for his debts, so a special committee consisting of County Board Chair Hector Boncher, Supervisor of Assessors Henry Dworak and representatives of the County Council in each city, village and town served as a board of review.

Then there was a Savings Stamp Campaign that wasn't completed because the 4th Liberty Loan Drive and the United War Work Campaign didn't allow time though the county had until January 1, 1919 to finish the stamp drive. The 4th Liberty Loan assessment of $700,00 was exceeded by the $790,100 collected. It was 109.6% of the assessment.

Again, only one man - the Montpelier German - did not take his share. That prompted a visit by a committee. He signed the application for the 3rd and 4th drives, but immediately notified his bank that he would not pay. It was noted the man did not respond to the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, or 4th Liberty Loans, did not donate to the YMCA which was seen as a way to keep men fit for life as a soldier, did not support the the Knights of Columbus nor take his $5.00 allotment of War Savings Stamps. Though he was not a member of the Red Cross, his only donation to the war effort was 50 cents to the 2nd Red Cross War Fund. The German was a cheese and butter maker with a wife and 2 children. Minutes of a meeting held the following information: "A source we believe reliable advises that he enjoys a salary of $140.00 with free house rent, milk, cheese and butter." All this in a day without electronic media!

There was so much work to do that Seyk appointed a separate committee to solicit funds. Following C.L. Duvall's enlistment in the Navy, Frank Hamachek was chosen secretary on October 26, 1918, and Anton Kieweg took over Hamachek's position as treasurer.

Though County Agricultural Agent A.W. Schmutzer's salary was paid by the government, the Council of Defense purchased his auto and paid equipment expenses, amounting to $626.68 for 1918. He was thought to be "entirely satisfactory." To keep costs low, the Transportation Committee was organized on May 1, 1918. O.H. Bruemmer was the chair of the Farm Labor Bureau, a committee organized to aid farmers during the harvest by placing city men on the farm. There was even a threshing division of the Federal Food Administration.

Agriculture was most important. When the county agent conducted pure bred sire surveys, he found 75 registered sires in the county, owned by 3% of the farmers. Kewaunee County was outdone by Brown County with one sire for each 15 farms, whereas Sheboygan and Fond du Lac averaged a sire for every four farms. Some towns were ahead of others in quality of stock. "Scrub-Bull-Cleanup-Campaign" was designed to interest each farmer in registered animals and, with the campaign, 53 high grade and pure bred animals were added to the herds.

Soil sampling revealed that there were only 8 sour areas in the sandy areas of West Kewaunee, near Scarboro and in northeast Ahnapee. Field phosphate soil analysis done at Algoma Training School showed soils to be low in phosphate due to repeated grain crops. Experiments with phosphate fertilizers increased barley yields and 22 farmers began using them in 1919. It was found that treated grain seed had less smut than untreated, which ran about 10%. With that, it was decided seed corn should be treated. Loss caused by smut was small per farmer, but countywide, it was considered huge. Alfalfa exceeded expectations when planted on lime rock. Pests on vegetables were controlled with sprays. For 10 cents a tree, a fruit tree could be sprayed. Two drainage projects began in Sections 14 and 23 of Casco and 6 and 7 of West Kewaunee, although a number of farms required such projects. Silos were advocated as was barn ventilation.

Children's Welfare was a committee chaired by Olga Dishmaker. That group made $36.50 on August 23, 1918 when Sgt. Major Kirkwood lectured on the Great War at Kewaunee's Sokol Theater. A Child Welfare sub-committee was led by Mrs. J.L. Haney. The committee, over-seen by an R.N., was ordered by the U.S. government to weigh and measure each child over two weeks old and under 6 years, a total of 2,264 children. Forty-two children were sick, 346 had serious defects and 281 of those also had tooth trouble. Every mother received a government card showing height, weight and defects of her child. Duplicate cards were kept by the Council of Defense and sent to Washington, D.C.

Initially an R.N. was paid $125 for work as needed but then the Woman's Committee went from house to house, asking for 50 cents from each household, with a goal of hiring a nurse for a year. After raising $1651.75, plus the $36.50 from the lecture, there was enough money, however such a nurse was not available for hire. Monies were deposited in Farmers and Merchants Bank until a nurse could be found. Six students were recruited to take nurses' training and, in the absence of a county nurse, women were taught to weigh and measure. Experienced women taught infant care.

Women did what they had to do and 455 were drafted* to serve in all capacities without pay. The Woman's Committee, organized on March 22, 1918, oversaw activities such as a county wide census of each woman over 21 and the war support activities in which each was involved.  Esther Newman (Mrs. Joshua L.) Johns chaired the 3rd Liberty Loan Drive five days after the men began raising $73,050. Most gave voluntarily. Mrs. W.A. Cowell chaired the Salvation Army War Fund which had to raise $400. The drafted women went to each home in the county asking for 10 cents and raised $764.77, nearly double the required amount.

Miss Viola Leyse was in charge of food conservation and, with Children's Welfare, ran a two day seminar on May 28 and 29. Over 1,000 women were taught about the uses of wheat and wheat substitutes. They were taught to bake with conservation recipes known as "war dishes." Barley and corn flour bread found their way to tables and vegetable oil replaced animal fats.  In June  women flocked to canning and drying.  Displays of wheat, meat and sugar substitutes were put in every Algoma and Kewaunee store window. Such displays cost $11, a cost paid for by the Council. In the spring, the Food Committee canvased the county for space for war gardens. Mrs. L.W. Bruemmer chaired the Women in Industry Committee. One of her reports indicated that 60 Kewaunee women gave 1,000 clerical hours, 200 to the Draft Board and 800 to the Council of Defense.

Farm women were expected to keep milking machines clean and repair them. They were expected to know about gasoline engines. In a day when many thought it unseemly for a woman to be behind the wheel of an auto, women were expected to "run" tractors. It was also expected that farm women would weed out "slacker cows" for food. Learning hog care and raising productive poultry was as important as buying bonds. Classes were taught on the cleaning of old clothing and then remaking garments, something the average housewife knew about.

Mrs. N. Leyse was in charge of the Speaker's Bureau and coordinated such programs on education, Americanization, loans, gardens, public health and more. Miss Elizabeth Donovan was the county supervising teacher and attended meetings at the state fair. Miss Gladys Duvall was chair of Publicity and Information. She kept the public informed with bulletins.

As treasurer of the Council, Anton Kieweg paid the bills. He paid William Duescher $4.00 as Duescher hired out his auto for trips to Alaska and Rostok. Fred Brusda was paid $3.00 to take a team to Norman for a Mach funeral. Sokol Hall was paid a rental fee of $15 for March 29 and April 8, 1918, however another hall was rented at $28 for March 27 only. Pilsen's band must have been popular in some defense activity because Paul Taddy was paid $15 to pay for their dinner and supper and Emon Hopp was paid $2.50 for buying the band drinks.

J.B. Kieweg chaired the Transportation Committee. Organized on May 1, 1918, its duty was get a list of all auto owners from town assessors and then to scour the tax roles. Auto owners did their share: 195 owners were responsible of over 18,000 miles, which appear to have been donated. Child Welfare was assigned 35 cars for a total of 2,800 miles. The five cars credited to Canning and Preserving made 250 miles while the 160 cars allotted to Liberty Loans, Savings Stamps and Farm Labor Bureau amassed 15,000 miles.

Over There, Pack Up Your Troubles, Soldier's Hiking Song and America the Beautiful were a few of the rousing, patriotic songs taught at gatherings and schools by the Women's Land Army. The Home Ec Committee said children needed to learn to care for bedrooms, decide if clothing needed mending and needed to know how to care for dish towels. If mending was necessary, the children needed to know how to darn, sew and mend. If they were eating plums, peaches or cherries, it was important for them to save the pits for use in the manufacture of carbon filters in gas masks.

Big Brother was all over Kewaunee County during World War l. Privacy seemed to be non-existent though intrusions seemed to be accepted as part of the war effort. It is hard to believe one Montpelier farmer was the only person in the county who did not accept what others felt was a total war effort. The fellow had a German surname. Looking at the surnames of those in war time leadership positions, there are very few that could be German.

*The word "drafted" was often used in the minutes, apparently to demonstrate patriotism when the word "volunteer" might have been a better choice.
More information can be found in Special Collections at UW-Green Bay and in Honor Roll, 1917, 1918, 1919, compiled and edited by Harry H. Heidmann and Lester C. Heidmann, available at Algoma Public Library.

Kewaunee County Soldiers' Relief Commission

Nearly 40 years after the close of the Civil War, Kewaunee County’s Soldiers’ Relief Commission was still meeting, providing benefits to those in need. By then, the U.S. had been engaged in another war – that which has come to be known as the Spanish - American War. Little did the average citizen know that another festering pot would boil over, eventually drawing the county into new fighting, this time in Europe.

By 1903 Civil War veterans Alfred Vibber, John Ihlenfeld and John Dishmaker made up the Soldiers’ Relief Commission committee. Dr. Churchill was the medical attendant. Vibber had initially enlisted in Oconto Co. but was rejected as too short, though he probably did not grow much in the few weeks before August 1862 when he enlisted in Kewaunee Co. Vibber joined Capt. Cunningham’s Co. A, 27^th Wisconsin, going on to serve for three years. Listed as Johann in Co. H, 2nd Wisconsin Cavalry, Ihlenfeld served on the committee for over ten years. He owned the Hotel Ahnapee with John Weilep and served as Ahnapee's 1^st Ward councilman, always taking an active part in community and business affairs.  Dishmaker also served under Cunningham in Co. A, 27^th Wisconsin. He entered service as a musician on August 15, 1862, serving three years before mustering out on August 29, 1865. Dishmaker was born in Bavaria in 1838, arrived in New York in 1852 and filed his Declaration of Intent in Kewaunee County in 1859. He was Naturalized after the war in 1872.

For the years after 1900, minutes indicate the Soldiers' Relief Commission met as needed. They met in the courthouse and they met at the homes of those they assisted.  Expenditures were listed. Serving on the committee and earning mileage appear lucrative when compared with a soldier’s monthly assistance. At a time when such assistance averaged $12-$13.50 per month, committee members received $3.12 per diem. Vibber received $4.44, possibly because he served as chair. Financial information was reported to the County Board.

When George Barrand’s application was accepted in June 1903, he was approved for 12 months and called an “old indigent.” Barrand had served in the 1^st Wisconsin Cavalry and was in the march on Richmond in 1865. A November 1903 meeting began at the court house and ended with a visit to Henry Bregger in Luxemburg. Bregger mustered out of Co. G, 12th Wisconsin Infantry in July of 1865, having served about 15 months. Two months after the visit, Bregger applied for more money saying he had a large family of children.* During the summer of 1904, County Supervisor Nesemann requested funds for a widow, Elizabeth Machia, and West Kewaunee’s Chairman Seidl asked for help for Joseph Moore who had served with Co. E, 14th Wisconsin. Moore was placed on the list in April 1904 but then died. Seidl asked for an allowance for his widow until she got government assistance, at which point the board could decide what to do. Mrs. Moore was dropped from the list, but she was back on a few weeks later. Machia's application was filed in Wisconsin, although he served with a New York Infantry.

After the County Board raised $300 in June 1905, the Relief Commission investigated the finances of all the soldiers and widows. With two women and three men, the job could not have been too hard, but then another man was added to the roles. Curiously in February 1908 Max Jadin, Ed Carel and Henry Bregger are listed as "indigent" soldiers, but a few months later, Bregger is listed only as “soldier.” Within the next two years, the caseload went up. A number of veterans died and their widows began applying.

Algoma’s George W. Kelsey was an interesting case. Kelsey was the son of Martin Kelsey. The senior Kelsey was the originator the Ahnapee’s Brilliantine Factory, manufactured fly nets and was a merchant. Son George was managing his father’s Chicago business interests in 1894 but returned to Ahnapee the following year to open his Bargain Store in Froemming’s building. George Kelsey partnered with Voyta Kwapil in 1912 to begin a glove manufactory with the purchase of Constant LuMaye’s glove making equipment and moving it from Brussels to Algoma. LuMaye worked for the new firm, and for Kelsey, for two years.

On January 22, 1916, Vibber, Ihlenfeld and Dishmaker met in Algoma to discuss the case of George W. Kelsey being sent to the Soldiers’ Home in Milwaukee. Kelsey was said to be “laying sick” at the Kirchman Hotel in Algoma. Mr. Kirchman brought an account of $20 for Kelsey’s care, board and lodging. The committee refused to pay it because Kelsey** was drawing a U.S. pension and was not entitled to county money. At some point, Kelsey entered the Soldiers’ Home where he died on July 22, 1920. Kelsey’s son George W. Kelsey, Jr. died in a New Rochelle, New York, hotel in 1928. A second son, Louis, was living in Algoma.

Over the years, there were minutes of actions taken. Reasons for such actions were not.

*Bregger married in 1873 so that could explain the large number of children in 1903. **Kelsie in the minutes. The court house postcard was postmarked in 1910 and comes from the blogger's collection.

 

Politics: O'Konski, Johns, Stebbins, Wattawa, Decker and Duvall

Kewaunee County is often regarded by its residents as a county too small to have much political sway, so it is often a surprise to many that the county's two U.S. Congressmen had a significant impact even though one barely got his feet wet. County voters felt they'd have the chance to elect one of their own as governor, but it didn't happen. Voters were able to support a popular local candidate for lieutenant governor, but he wasn't elected either.


United States Congressman Joshua Johns was not born in Kewaunee County, but the county can claim him. His pacifist tendencies at the outset of World War ll put him at the era's political forefront. Forty years earlier Republican DeWayne Stebbins was a candidate for governor but bowed out of the race in deference to his friend Robert - Fighting Bob - LaFollette.  Big Steb, as he was called, came to the county as a youngster before the Civil War and, with the exception of military and government service, he never left. LaFollette joined 3,000 others at Stebbins' funeral a few years later.                   

On April 3, 1892, Eli Duvall wrote a letter to the New Era discussing Kewaunee's John Wattawa whose prominence was rising in Wisconsin political circles. Wattawa was one of two Democratic candidates for lieutenant governor at a time when newspaper accounts were carrying articles about his abuse of some nationality groups. In his letter, Duvall attested to his personal knowledge of statements that Wattawa denied. Duvall wrote that following the spring election 3 or 4 years earlier, when Wattawa's candidates had been defeated, he "heard him, publicly and earnestly on the street, denounce the Germans as the d---d Dutch-----" for having voted against his candidates. Duvall said at least two others heard Wattawa and offered their names. Duvall continued saying that he had taken the occasion that day to charge Mr. Wattawa to his face and that Wattawa did not deny using the derogatory language.


Edward Decker led the Kewaunee County delegation to Wattawa's headquarters at Milwaukee's Plankinton Hotel. Several hundred county citizens traveled with the Gem City Brass Band aboard the steamer Barry, though Decker traveled by train. Decker, who was thought to be a wealthy man, was a Democratic candidate for Wisconsin's 9th District.* Managers of the Wisconsin convention at the Davidson Theater had banned any pictures of presidential candidates Grover Cleveland or William Jennings Bryan. Both men were Democrats but led other factions of the party.

Joshua Johns was born in small town Eagle, Wisconsin. He was a Yale educated attorney who married Ahnapee-born Esther Newman. Her father Sam Newman was the man who originated what came to be called Plumbers Woodwork, a leader in the manufacture of toilet seats. Johns associated himself with the company and, for awhile, lived in Algoma. Esther memorialized her family by the donation of what today is known as Newman Park.


Johns was a Congressman at the beginning of World War ll. He became nationally known following a radio address from New York. The address with its pacifist leanings gave rise to what appeared to have been a mail campaign when mass produced postcards, objecting to his views, came from throughout the U.S. Johns' Congressional career was short as he served from 1939 to 1943 when he was defeated in a reelection attempt.

For 30 years, from 1943 to 1973, Kewaunee's Congressman Alvin O'Konski represented Northeast Wisconsin in the House of Representatives. An American of Polish descent, O'Konski was awarded "Palonia Restuticia," Free Poland's highest medal. O'Konski left his mark on the country. So did his cousin, Stan "The Man" Musial.

DeWayne Stebbins' ca. 1900 photo was taken from An-An-api-sebe: Where is the River?; John Wattawa's photo was found in The Sentinel, Tuesday Morning, September 2, 1902; the pickets at Joshua Johns' home was found in Algoma Record Herald, August 26, 1939; Alvin O'Konski's picture was found at www.findagrave.

Thomas Konop was another Kewaunee County Congressman. Born in the Town of Franklin in 1879, he was admitted to the Bar in 1904 and began practice in Kewaunee County, serving as District Attorney from 1905-1911. He moved to Green Bay where he practiced law and served in Congress from March 1911 to March 1917 when he was defeated for reelection.