Joshua L. Johns & Kewaunee County Liberty Loan Drive

During the days of print media, prominence was often judged by the “ink” one got. Joshua Johns got so much ink that he could have gone swimming in it!

Joshua Leroy Johns was a small town boy who was born in Richland Center, Wisconsin and never forgot his roots. Perhaps it was those roots that propelled him toward a life of community service. Perhaps it was those roots that propelled him politically towards the progressive movement.

As Wisconsin's 8^th District Congressman in the late 1930s and early ‘40s, Johns’ stance on neutrality was nationally known. That almost seemed like a contradiction. Earlier, during World War l, he led the Victory Liberty Loan efforts in Kewaunee County. It was his leadership that put the county first in Wisconsin to “go over the top” and exceed quotas. While Kewaunee County achieved 101% of its quota, Sauk County was the nearest to it, achieving 73.36% Dane and Milwaukee were numbers 14 and 15, with 5.11% and 4.85% respectively.

Johns’ bond, or loan drive, was carefully orchestrated. In April 1919, a War Train came from Green Bay to Kewaunee and then Algoma before going north to Sturgeon Bay. Hundreds – some accounts estimate 3,500 – came out at Kewaunee to view the three black, green and yellow camouflaged flat cars containing war equipment and the two Pullman sleepers for speakers, soldiers and sailors. The flat cars were filled with captured German military equipment. The point was made that the equipment was captured while those in attendance maintained their relatively comfortable lives at home. Gas masks and revolvers were one thing, but there were machine guns and German canons. A Fokker type airplane was a hit. The most interesting was a whippet baby tank that traveled around the city at speeds of 20 miles an hour. Besides its speed, the 6-ton tank was easily maneuvered. Covered with 5/8” thick steel armor, it had a 62 hp motor and two 37 millimeter guns. The tank made a big impression in Kewaunee.  

Severely wounded soldiers and sailors riding in the Pullmans were placed on the platform for effect. Algoma’s Quiren Groessl was one of them. When he wrote his memoirs years later, he told of being “used.”  Of course a band was also aboard the Pullmans, and stirring, patriotic music was a part of the event.

During the stop at Kewaunee, there were speeches at the Sokol Hall (left) which was filled to overflowing.

As effective as the stop was, there was more. Lt. Charles R. Wing and Lt. Ray P. Birdsall were two of six Wisconsin flyers who’d graduated as expert instructors at the military flying school in Texas. Johns had put in a request to have them fly in Kewaunee County, but the military had other plans for them. Johns did manage to secure a seaplane, which surely caused excitement in 1919. School children all over the county had the day off so they too could witness the events. Duty had been impressed upon the kids as well and they were to understand their part.

Still, there was more. “Lest We Forget” was a play presented all over the county, providing easy attendance. Leading citizens and returning service men took parts at Nickolai’s in Duvall, Kraynik’s at Bolt, Ratajczak’s in West Kewaunee, Entringer & Hucek’s in Lincoln, Folks’ in Carlton, Okrush’s in Luxemburg and in tens of other halls and schools around the county.

Johns was always most public spirited. From Richland Center High School, he went on to Yale and then Grant (which was renamed Chattanooga) College in Chattanooga to earn his law degree. That was only the beginning.

Sources: Kewaunee Enterprise and Johns' papers; Quiren Groessl's Big Boy; postmarked 1916, the postcard is in the blogger's collection.