Last of the horse drawn fire wagons.

The nation also rolled along to new growth and expansion. The SpanishAmerican War had brought the U. S. A. from a trading business into a world power with commitments from Cuba to the Philippines. In distant Europe, the war drums were sounding. In 1908,1910 and 1912, events in that continent came close to bringing open warfare. There was no stopping it in 1914 and the Great War was on.

America tried to stay neutral, trying to trade with all nations on an equal basis. However, Great Britain and her allies had the ships, both freighters and war ships. Her navy was able to protect her supply lanes while Germany was sealed into the Baltic Sea. They developed the submarine or U-Boat as a weapon against British shipping. German subs ranged off the coast of the U. S. A. looking for their prey. In Congress at this time was much pro German influence. Some urged that we use our own navy to escort supply ships through the British lines and into German ports. The tide was turned when German subs sank the Lusitania either in error or in frustration. President Wilson called for a declaration of war. Soon the entire country was engulfed in that conflict.

Saint Marys responded with every manufactured product it could make from artillery wheels to army blankets to castings for war machinery. The Ohio Militia, just returned from fighting Pancho Villa on the Mexican border, was again mustered into the Rainbow Division. Some of these men were the first to land in France as "Black Jack" Pershing called out,

"Lafayette, we are here!"

Between April of 1917 and November, 1918, two hundred and thirty-five soldiers were enlisted or drafted. They served in many of the decisive battles and their vigor and bravery swung the tide of the war to victory for the Allies. Fifteen failed to return and many others suffered from wounds, shell shock and poison gas. Those who did return were determined to come back to a new way of life.

Chapter Vl

The Beautiful Years

Eleven o'clock on November 11,1918, the church bells of Saint Marys rang joyfully, factory whistles blew, shops and schools closed, citizens poured out onto the streets in a wild celebration. The Great War was over! The hero's of Company K and the Rainbow Division would soon be coming home. They had seen "Paree" and now would be "back on the farm." But these men had seen more of the world and a different world than that from which they had gone. They had dreams. They dreamed of a new and exciting life. They dreamed of better schools, better roads and a better city. The almost-a-century-old home town would never be the same again. Their vision was taken up by the entire community and beautiful things began to happen.

The Community Welfare Association had been formed during the war period to give aid to those families whose chief breadwinner had gone to "make the world safe for Democracy." Now they found themselves with a substantial treasury and no longer a stated purpose. It was proposed that this money be used for a fitting memorial to the veterans of the war. This suggestion rapidly lead to the idea of creating a Memorial Park in the center of town. The site recommended was then a rather delapidated collection of barns, livery stables, warehouses and other relics left over from canal days, together with several substantial homes.

In an amazing spirit of enthusiasm and cooperation the lovely Memorial Park was planned and completed in only one years time. The stage was now set for the grandest Homecoming and Centennial celebration that a town of this size, or comparably of any size, had ever witnessed. As a bit of nostalgia and to preserve the story for yet another generation, here is how the Centennial Supplement of 1923 told of this event.