Holding Down the Homefront
While the Second World War raged on in Europe, the American homefront was transforming. The nation was struggling to emerge from the depths of the Great Depression, and now President Roosevelt was once again asking all Americans to sacrifice for the nation. As you proceed through the rest of the exhibit, you will discover the various ways in which the war affected the local population and how Champaign County rose to meet the call.
Fifteen-year-old Mary Lou Brown of 215 South Locust Street, Champaign made local history when she became the first female Western Union delivery girl in the twin cities. Delivering telegrams was a tradition in the Brown family. Her three older brothers had all worked for the Urbana office. One brother, Corp. Merle Brown, was stationed in Maryland; another, Oggie, was working in a defense plant in Chicago. Her third brother, Kenneth, was now working for Reliable Furniture in Champaign. When asked by a local Courier reporter when taking this photo, “Can’t they get any boys?” She responded, “What’s so different about a girl riding a bicycle?”
Fueling the War Effort
Within two weeks of the United States entering the war, 250 men working at Cliffords-Jacobs Forging Plant announced they would no longer work on defense contracts: they would only accept orders for weapons of offense. W.E.C. Clifford, the company president, and state senator promised, “The guns and tanks made from Clifford-Jacobs Forging will stand the gaff when the boys need them.”
In1937, the company had installed a 25,000-pound drop forging hammer, the largest in the world. Before the U.S. entered the war, the hammer was used to produce a 1,330-pound recoil body for a British 25-pound field gun to support England in its fight. During the war, Clifford-Jacobs became the main supplier of yoke forgings for the 105mm Howitzer. With its drop-hammer, the company was in a unique position to supply gears, shell bases, and parts for military vehicles.
In addition to production, the workers dictated 10 percent of their earnings to war bonds. In 1945, the company was awarded the Army-Navy “E” award signifying the attainment of superior standards and production.
The Necessary Farmer
With the draft in full force, farms across America and Champaign County began to feel the strain of labor shortages. On December 26, 1942, the publication The Prairie Farmer states, “We must quit taking Brigadier-Generals of food production and making them Army Privates.” Local farmers were pleading for temporary deferments for their farmhands until after the harvest.
The National Selective Service Headquarters devised a process for allowing deferments for “necessary farms.” Farms accrued “War Units” based on their production which was used to determine deferment status. However, as war progressed, the number of units needed for deferment continued to rise. The following is a sample of calculation according to the 1942 Farm Plan.
The Illinois Glove Company, founded in Champaign in 1929 by Samuel Shmikler, made gloves for the U.S. military at their factory on the southeast corner of Green and Neil Streets. Seen here, left, the workers donated their overtime pay to the American Red Cross in February 1942. In the presentation photo are Lloyd Sheedan, Ellan Sansone, Lyle Edmundson, Dr. George Arpelle of the Red Cross, Lewis Hickermell, and Vera Capan.
Mainting A "V Home"
Established in May 1941, the Office of Civilian Defense had little success before Pearl Harbor in organizing air defense efforts and local defense councils. By early 1942, more than 5.5 million people and some 7,000 local councils took part in air raid defense and implemented curfews and blackouts.
V Home families engaged in activities including buying bonds and conversing or salvaging needed materials. The Office of Civilian Defense conferred a “V Home Award” as “a badge of honor for those families which have made themselves into a fighting unit on the home front.”
Though the American homefront was never really threatened and civil defense turned out to be unneeded, they did provide a sense of participation and also contributed to morale. Champaign County residents understood that their service and sacrifice paled beside that of serving overseas.
"Do With Less So They Have Enough"
As resources were diverted to support the war effort, Americans faced shortages and rationing at home.
In 1942, the U.S. government began rationing gasoline and sugar. The next year, fresh meat, butter, cheese, and canned goods were rationed as well. Every month households received a limited number of rationed stamps with point values for fresh and canned goods. Stamps had to be redeemed with each food purchase. Shoppers could exchange meet drippings and bacon fat (used for explosives) for extra points. Even with rationing, foods were in short supply. Many families tended to backyard “victory gardens,” canned their own vegetables, or substituted ingredients in favorite recipes.
Throughout the war years, the University of Illinois Extension Service provided invaluable resources to the residents of Illinois. They offered pamphlets, guides, and radio programming to help in the establishment of victory gardens, as well as assist in cooking and canning.