Monday evening Sedalians will have the opportunity to not only to view and learn about World War I, but delve into its effects on the local area during an open house exhibit hosted at the Pettis County Museum.
Rhonda Chalfant, co-curator of the museum, said WWI was a contrast of old and new. The war brought about change. On one hand, soldiers were “pulling kasions with mules” while the cavalry charged to battle on horses. On the other hand, there were airplanes flying over head dropping bombs.
“After the war it was a really different world,” Chalfant said.
The Remembering World War I exhibit and open house is in recognition of the 100th anniversary of the United States becoming involved with the war, Chalfant noted.
“Fifty-three to 55 men, sources differ on this, from Pettis County died in World War I,” she said. “Some from battlefield injuries and some from disease. There was an influenza epidemic at the tail end of the war, and it hit Europe and it hit the United States.”
The exhibit will feature a “large number of artifacts” from WWI. Some items were donated, but most come from the private collection of Historical Society Co-Curator Charles Wise. Wise serves as curator with Chalfant and Bill Claycomb.
“We have images of the war in Europe as well as images of Sedalia and Sedalians, activities around Sedalia,” Chalfant said. “We have a display of music related to the war and some information about what songs were popular.”
One song in particular, “I Didn’t Raise My Boy to be a Soldier,” had an anti-war theme.
“The war was not entirely popular,” Chalfant noted. “The United States waited some time before it it actually got involved in the war. Finally (President) Wilson did ask Congress for a declaration of war, and we have some information about why that happened. Including some things that don’t often get talked about in high school history class.”
Chalfant explained about the Zimmerman telegraph, which played a part in the sinking of Allied ships during WWI.
“When I was in school we always heard about the sinking of the (RMS) Lusitania, and yes German U boats did menace the ocean and did sink United States ships,” she said. “But, the key factor was the Zimmerman telegraph, that was intercepted by the British and decoded by the British.
“In it, Kaiser Wilhelm offered Mexico the states of Texas, Arizona and New Mexico, if Mexico would come into the war on the side of the Germans, and if the Germans won,” she added. “When the British gave the information to the United States, that was the thing that pushed the nation into the war.”
After visitors view the artifacts Monday evening, both Chalfant and Claycomb will speak at 7 p.m.
“Bill is going to talk about events in Europe leading up to the war,” Chalfant said.
She added that before the war began, due to Kaiser Wilhelm and leaders of surrounding countries being related to each other, the area was a brewing pot of family turmoil.
“So we’ve got a family feud that’s made even larger by various alliances between the countries and agreements between the nations,” Chalfant said. “Lots of individual nations were fighting among themselves.”
After Claycomb speaks, Chalfant will give a presentation about WWI in the Sedalia area and how it affected Pettis County.
She encouraged people to attend the open house Monday, to see the exhibits, to hear the presentations and to learn “something about a war that that has basically been forgotten.”
“The last WWI veteran died a few years ago,” Chalfant said. “It’s something we need to remember, not only the sacrifice of the men who fought, but they were woefully unprepared and under-equipped, but they went and did what they were supposed to do …”
Remembering World War I exhibit and open house will be hosted at 6 p.m. Monday at the Pettis County Museum, 228 Dundee Ave. Refreshments will be served. The event is free, but donations are appreciated. The Pettis County Museum is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The exhibit will be hosted through the end of September.
Pettis County Museum Co-Curator Charles Wise holds a World War I photo of Ferdinand Klein, 1894-1978, of Bahner, which is part of the Remembering World War I exhibit that will open at 6 p.m. Monday at the museum.
