Getting STarted: Piecing together Homer Ward
This page is intended to give students an idea of how they can utilize various physical and digital archives to find documents that reveal both specific details about their specific person as well as where they fit in a broader context. I did not physically go to any digital archives, relying almost entirely on digital resources. However, I did write to one and received an email back a day later with extensive tips for further digital research on my interest and topic and 8 scanned primary sources. I also received an offer to work with our students directly, either in-person in the Special Collections space of the University of Washington or through Skype. Such are the possibilities we have for collaboration and storytelling in this age. Explaining this to students a few days into the research got them thinking similarly. One pair asked me for permission to call the historical society of the town where their individual service member came from. That initiative and mindset are what we hope to cultivate.
This collection of documents also includes items that don't specifically reference this individual of study. The purpose of this is to develop students' sense of and attention to context, to raising questions broader than just those specific to their person. If he died of disease, how many died of disease? Was this similar in other conflicts? How does that compare to today? We went them to move fluidly between the bigger and smaller picture as they piece the puzzle together, acknowledging and utilizing both established, reliable sources while bringing their own views through new documents uncovered or long-discovered items in need of fresh analysis.
In that sense, students might see how even with few details on their individual of interest they can use them as a starting point and lens on the time period. By looking at the war and time through that lens they will develop their own perspective and come across aspects of the war that they otherwise would not be exposed to. Examples of items I've learned about by exploring the details of Homer Ward's life include the size and contribution of the 20th Engineers, "the largest regiment in the army," the coverage of and attitude towards Mexico in 1916 and Pershing's excursion there and how that might have shaped responses to the Zimmerman Telegram, and the intricacies and delicacy of the diplomatic relationship between France and the US on the smallest decisions being made upon US entry. Focusing on any of these avenues, opened up to me by looking through the lens of Homer Ward, would lead me to my own expertise on the war and a sense of ownership in coming to that understanding. Hopefully, I can come back to my starting point, return to Homer, and have a better sense of his time and how he fit into it.
This collection of documents also includes items that don't specifically reference this individual of study. The purpose of this is to develop students' sense of and attention to context, to raising questions broader than just those specific to their person. If he died of disease, how many died of disease? Was this similar in other conflicts? How does that compare to today? We went them to move fluidly between the bigger and smaller picture as they piece the puzzle together, acknowledging and utilizing both established, reliable sources while bringing their own views through new documents uncovered or long-discovered items in need of fresh analysis.
In that sense, students might see how even with few details on their individual of interest they can use them as a starting point and lens on the time period. By looking at the war and time through that lens they will develop their own perspective and come across aspects of the war that they otherwise would not be exposed to. Examples of items I've learned about by exploring the details of Homer Ward's life include the size and contribution of the 20th Engineers, "the largest regiment in the army," the coverage of and attitude towards Mexico in 1916 and Pershing's excursion there and how that might have shaped responses to the Zimmerman Telegram, and the intricacies and delicacy of the diplomatic relationship between France and the US on the smallest decisions being made upon US entry. Focusing on any of these avenues, opened up to me by looking through the lens of Homer Ward, would lead me to my own expertise on the war and a sense of ownership in coming to that understanding. Hopefully, I can come back to my starting point, return to Homer, and have a better sense of his time and how he fit into it.
Homer Ward was born on July 19, 1889 in Concordia, Kansas. The 1900 census record below shows the names, age, and occupations of each family member. It also shows that his father's family came from Maine. His mother's came from Germany.
Source CitationYear: 1900; Census Place: Clark, Lewis, Washington; Roll: 1747; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0130; FHL microfilm: 1241747. From Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. Original data: United States of America, Bureau of the Census. Twelfth Census of the United States, 1900. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1900. T623, 1854 rolls.
In the census above, Homer is 10 years old. The next census document from 1910 shows him living at the same location but now working as a public school teacher. You also see that he is not the only member of his family that has gone into the classroom.
Source CitationYear: 1910; Census Place: Centralia, Lewis, Washington; Roll: T624_1666; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0132; FHL microfilm: 1375679. From Ancestry.com. 1910 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2006. Original data: Thirteenth Census of the United States, 1910 (NARA microfilm publication T624, 1,178 rolls). Records of the Bureau of the Census, Record Group 29. National Archives, Washington, D.C. For details on the contents of the film numbers, visit the following NARA web page: NARA.
In between 1900 and 1910, Homer and his brother attended and graduated from Centralia High School. Homer was the Secretary-Treasurer. Their class motto was: "Play fair and hit the line hard." They graduated together in 1909.
The Centralia News-Examiner. (Centralia, Wash.), 01 July 1909. NewspaperArchive. https://newspaperarchive.com/centralia-news-examiner-jun-16-1909/?tag=homer+w+ward+last+friday&rtserp=tags/?pc=4894&psi=101&pci=7&pt=10756&pep=last-friday&pf=homer-w&pl=ward/
Both Arthur and Homer received their certificates to teach a few months later.
The Centralia News-Examiner. (Centralia, Wash.), 13 October 1909. NewspaperArchive. https://newspaperarchive.com/tags/?pep=lewis-county-teachers-receive&pf=homer-w&pl=ward/
Not long after both were students at University of Washington, Seattle. Here they are in the Tyee, the yearbook from 1912. Arthur is at top right, Homer below him.
University of Washington. The Tyee, 1912. Page 236. University of Washington, Seattle. http://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/cdm/ref/collection/uwdocs/id/47657
It is difficult to pin down his path to Europe from here. William Collin's History of Sigma Alpha Epsilon in the World War indicates that Homer enlisted before the war, joining the Mexican Border Campaign in 1916.
Levere, William C. 1872-1927. The History of Sigma Alpha Epsilon In the World War. [Menasha, Wis.: George Banta publishing company], 1928.
Collin's brief summary would explain why Homer's draft registration card from 1917 shows that he was in San Francisco at that time and why he had already served nearly a year in the military. He'd gone from Washington State as a student to enter the service in Mexico and then to officer training in San Francisco before US entry into World War One.
Registration State: Washington; Registration County: Lewis; Roll: 1991655. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data: United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm.
This news article from 1916 shows Ward signing up for service on the border.
Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.), 30 March 1918. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn99063957/1918-03-30/ed-1/seq-3/>
His brother Arthur had taken a different route. According to his registration card, he was practicing law and still living in Centralia when the war broke out.
Registration State: Washington; Registration County: Lewis; Roll: 1991655. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data: United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm.
However, it also indicates that Arthur had a year of military service at the time of registration in 1917. Collin's history does not help clarify this. I am focused on Homer but it might be helpful to spend time exploring Arthur more intently, at least during this window of time. UPDATE: I spoke with Arthur Ward's son by phone. He confirmed that Arthur served with Pershing on the Mexican border campaign. He was confident that Homer served as well.
Levere, William C. 1872-1927. The History of Sigma Alpha Epsilon In the World War. [Menasha, Wis.: George Banta publishing company], 1928. Hathitrust.
The troop transport lists below show that Homer left for Europe on the same ship as his brother, Arthur in November, 1917. It was called the Madawaska. The picture below might well be when they were on it.
USS Madawaska (ID-3011) at sea during a trans-Atlantic trooping voyage, November 1917. US Navy photo # NH 83124 from the collection of Chief Warrant Officer J.B. Dofflemeyer, 1972. http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/22/22029.htm
It used to be called something else, before it was captured from the Germans by the US and then turned into a transport ship.
Apparently the Germans didn't exactly hand it over. These National Archives files show an attempt to destroy key parts in the engine room.
Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, 1860 - 1985. Photographs of American Military Activities, ca. 1918 - ca. 1981. 111-SC-1004 - Damaged Germanship - Destruction of engine room on the USS Madawaska, formerly the steamship Koenig Wilhelm II, 4/27/1917. NARA
Here's some video of the Madawaska in action, also from the National Archives.
Record Group 111: Records of the Office of the Chief Signal Officer, 1860 - 1985. Historical Films, ca. 1914 - ca. 1936. PORTS OF EMBARKATION, 1935. NARA
Service members like Homer who were heading to Europe on the Madawaska would be given one of these cards, breaking down the do's and don't's. They had greater concerns than secondhand smoke.
World War I, U.S.S. Madawaska "Instructions for Troops" card. From the Victor Lauderdale Collection (AR0229). UNT.
These Transport logs, newly available on Ancestry.com, show Homer and Arthur, heading to war together on the Madawaska in November of 1917. Only one would return home.
Homer served in the "Biggest Regiment in the Army": the 20th Engineers.
Twentieth engineers, France, 1917-1918-1919 by Davies, Alfred H Published 1920 Topics U. S. engineers. 20th regt., 1917-1919, World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories United States Engineers 20th
Twentieth engineers, France, 1917-1918-1919 by Davies, Alfred H Published 1920 Topics U. S. engineers. 20th regt., 1917-1919, World War, 1914-1918 -- Regimental histories United States Engineers 20th
As David A. Clary wrote in the Journal of Forest History, such work was hardly new to military operations. "For centuries, armies had included among the fighting units bodies of men, often called 'pioneers,' who cleared roads, prepared camps, provided firewood, and saw to many other aspects of campaigning." When America entered the war the need for wood was great: "wood by the ton, in an unceasing flow."
Clary, David A. “The Biggest Regiment in the Army.” Journal of Forest History, vol. 22, no. 4, 1978, pp. 182–184., www.jstor.org/stable/4004456.
Clary, David A. “The Biggest Regiment in the Army.” Journal of Forest History, vol. 22, no. 4, 1978, pp. 182–184., www.jstor.org/stable/4004456.
The National Archives has digitized film reels of the 20th in France. They provide a fascinating glimpse into the work they were doing in the forests of France and allow us to see some of the locations where this work was taking place.
"Reel 1 shows beech and pine forests in the Vosge Mts. Trees are felled and sawed. Logs are loaded on horse-drawn wagons. Bark is stripped from logs. Long logs, to be used for pilings, are skidded to a loading platform, loaded on carts, and hauled along a mountain road. Donkey engines, operated by the 20th Engrs., control the logs on the trip down the mountain. Reel 2, logs are lowered by cable down an incline railway at Granges. Cars are returned to the top by a turntable and donkey engines. Slash is burned. Soldier lumberjacks ride logs down the Courant River. Shows logs being sawed at Roullens, personnel of the 20th Engrs. and the 320th Labor Bn., and troops being paid. Reel 3, 20th and 110th Engrs. operate sawmills in the Vosge Mts. A portable sawmill is moved by tractors at Fagny. Track is laid for moving lumber at Roullens. Lumber is loaded on freight cars. Reel 4, railroad ties are sawed and loaded on railroad cars and trucks. Underbrush and small growth is cut in the Foret du Der. Firewood is cut into small lengths. German prisoners cut firewood and load it on cars in the Foret de Paimpont. Lumbering camps are built in the Vosges. The forestry workers eat lunch." https://catalog.archives.gov/id/25000
The document below, which was posted with the videos and which appears to contain the directive for cutting and preparing these videos, raises a number of questions. Why August of 1936? Why the apparent haste? What other videos or materials from WWI were put together at this time? Did it have anything to do with escalating tensions in Europe, with the Spanish Civil War ramping up and the Germans getting involved?
Homer appeared to serve successfully and impressively as he moved up in rank quickly. He writes with great confidence about his contribution in a letter further down the page. Or maybe it was the pace of growth at which this work and the need it met grew during the war. As Clary wrote, "The American lumber industry was waging total war," and Homer had been there from the start. Clary noted that recruiting continued throughout the war. Such a promotion starts to seem necessary given the rate of growth in this sector of the war effort.
The Tacoma times. (Tacoma, Wash.), 03 April 1918. Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. Lib. of Congress. <http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085187/1918-04-03/ed-1/seq-3/>
This document from Fold3's archive shows the recommendation for promotion.
WWI Military Cablegrams - AEF and War Dept › ... Main Series, AEF HQ to War Dept › 19-MAR-1918 to 28-MAR-1918 ›767
In letters home he describes the promotion, reflects on his earlier days as a lowly Private, and also highlights some of the lighter moments of life in the service. He also says he wouldn't mind going to the front and makes his best effort at working in a bit of French.
Not long after these letters were published in his hometown newspaper Homer died of disease.
In the Service: The Great World War Honor Roll Southwest Washington summed it up well:
"Although death was becoming a common occurance, and almost every day brought news of the death of some friend or relative, still the news of Homer Ward's death shocked his many friends. It was hard to believe that a young man who had left home in the pink of health, could be so suddenly stricken with death."
"Although death was becoming a common occurance, and almost every day brought news of the death of some friend or relative, still the news of Homer Ward's death shocked his many friends. It was hard to believe that a young man who had left home in the pink of health, could be so suddenly stricken with death."
Many of the documents above were found through digital research using the databases highlighted in the briefcase. The last one below, Homer's obituary, highlights another approach. I reached out to an archivist at the University of Washington's Special Collections. She responded promptly with all sort sof suggestions for different documents and databases. She supplied Homer's photo and directed me to the yearbook in which it was published. She informed me of the passenger lists recently uploaded on Ancestry.com. We had a back and forth about Homer's brother, Arthur. I shared his draft document with her. She responded to me with the passenger lists showing that both Arthur and Homer left for the war on the same ship and wondered at how awful it would be for Arthur to come back alone. Lastly, she reached out to the Lewis County Historical Museum, which has an obituary database posted on their website. She saw Homer's name and requested his obituary, which wasn't digitized. They scanned it, sent it over to her at UW and she sent it to me in France. Here it is:
The next day we shared this with our students and they picked up on the possibilities immediately, searching for possible local collections that they could reach out to about similar documents to tell the story of their soldier.
The above is in draft stage. Some documents still need corroboration, citing, or more polished citations. .
Concerning the direction of this research from here on, I have three principle interests for deeper study:
1. History and contributions of the 20th Engineers.
2. Impact of the war on France's environment.
3. Pneumonia's role in WWI.
4. Find more about Arthur's postwar experience and seek possible descendants.