The Rainbow Division-- Part 3: World War I

In 1918, the Rainbow Division participated in four major operations:  Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, Battle of Saint Mihel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

In total, the division saw 264 days of combat in France.

During this time, they suffered 14,683 casualties:  2,058 killed in action and 12,625 wounded in action.

Commanders included Major General W.A. Mann, Brigadier general Charles T. Menoher, Major General Charles D. Rhodes and Brigadier General Douglas MacArthur.

--Cooter

The Rainbow Division-- Part 2: Its Creation

Secretary of War Newton D. Baker approved the creation of the new division and later recalled Douglas MacArthur saying it would "stretch over the whole country like a rainbow."  Hence the name.

This new division was created from units from 26 states and Washington, D.C. including the Roanoke, Virginia, Coastal Artillery unit.  This new "Rainbow Division" came into being and MacArthur was promoted to the rank of colonel and became the chief of staff.

They were activated for World War I in August 1917 and went overseas in November 1917, one of the first AEF divisions to go.

--Cooter

Prohibition Comes Early to Virginia (1916)

From the October 3, 2016 Roanoke (Va.) Times)  "Looking Back."

1916, 100 Years Ago.

"At the stroke of midnight tonight, Old John Barleycorn will be banished from Roanoke and Virginia for the first time since Captain John Smith landed at Jamestown."

What Would the Baldwin Sisters and Their Father's "Recipe" Do?  (If You Watched the "Walton's.)  --CootDry

The Rainbow Division-- Part 1: World War I

In the last post, I wrote about a reunion of the 1st Company, Virginia Coast Artillery, having been in World War I as part of the Rainbow Division of Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

I did some follow up on the Rainbow Division.

From Wikipedia.

It still exists and is the 42nd Army Division.

When the United States declared war on Germany in 1917, it federalized National Guard units.  Then Major Douglas MacArthur suggested to William A, Mann, head of the Militia Bureau, that another division be formed from several states.

--Cooter

A World War I Reunion in 1967

From the April 3, 2017, Roanoke (Va.) Times  "Looking Back."

1967, 50 Years Ago.

"Members of the 1st Company, Virginia Coast Artillery, who served with General Douglas MacArthur's famed Rainbow Division in France in World War I, will hold a 50th anniversary dinner at the Patrick Henry Hotel Saturday night."

--Cooter

SS Marina Sunk By U-55 in 1916

From the wrecksite site.

The SS Marina was built in 1900 and owned at the time of its loss by Donaldson Line out of Glasgow.  5204 tons.

On October 28, 1916, on a voyage from Glasgow to Baltimore, it was sunk by the U-55 30 miles from Fastnet.(southern coast of Ireland)  Eighteen persons lost their lives.

The Marina was a defensively armed British merchant ship and the torpedo was fired without warning.

A list of the eighteen who died accompanied the article and none of the men from Roanoke, Virginia, were on it.

You Hear A Lot About the Lusitania, But I Had Never Heard of This Ship Being Sunk By a German Submarine.  --DaCoot

Three Roanoke Men Thought to Have Been Lost on British Steamer Marina, Sunk By German Submarine in 1916

From the October 31, 2016, Roanoke (Va.) Times  "Looking Back."

1916, 100 Years Ago.

"Two men of Roanoke -- Jack Davis and J.R.C. Brown -- known to have been on the ill-fated British steamer Marina, sunk by a German submarine while on her way from Glasgow to Newport News, and a third, J.M. Hanley, believed to have joined her crew before she left an American port nearly a month ago, may have been among the seventy members of the steamer's crew who lost their lives."

I'll do some more research.

Never Heard of This Attack.  --Cooter

Battling the High Cost of Living in 1917

From the January 4, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1917, 100 Years Ago.

"A business change that will be of interest to many of our readers took place this week with the North Side market Ashelford and Roberts have disposed of their place of business to A. Palmquist of this city who promises to help the people in their fight with the high cost of living.

"Mr. Palmquist says he will conduct a strictly cash business, and do no delivering thus giving the people the benefit of declining cost, and also the credit system."

--Cooter

Sale of the Wurlitzer Property in DeKalb in 1992

From the December 13, 2017  MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1992, 25 Years Ago.

"The DeKalb City Council approved the sale to the highest bidder of phase III of the city-owned Wurlitzer property on the northeast side of the city."

--Cooter

World War I Chronology, January 1918-- Part 2: U.S. Forces on Western Front

JANUARY 15--  U.S. forces enter the front line on the Western Front, replacing the French forces northwest of Toul.

JANUARY 26--  The U.S. Tank Corps is created.

--Cooter

Bids for NIU's Montgomery Hall in 1967

From the September 13, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1967, 50 Years Ago.

"Apparent low bids for constructing at Northern Illinois University's Montgomery Hall for biological services and nursing education totalling $3,533,801.

"The building which will have a total area of 112,442 square feet will be located in the wooded area of NIU's East campus."

--Cooter

Trimming Trees in 1917

From the September 13, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1917, 100 Years Ago.

"The DeKalb city authorities have had men at work the past week or ten days trimming up several hundred trees about the city, and the streets are now beginning to show the results of the work.

"The entire south side of town has been given attention, and the men are now at work on the north side, being in the neighborhood of Seventh street.  One can stand at any corner in the city now and look down the sidewalk for any distance, and there are no low hanging limbs to obstruct the view."

Trim My Limbs.  --CooTree

$11,538, 945,460 for World War I in 1917

From the September 20, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1917, 100 Years Ago.

"Majority leader Kitchen presented the House today the $11,538, 945,460 war bond revenue bill, the greatest in the world's history, with an unanimously bi-partisan report for its immediate passage."

Wars Ain't Cheap.  --Cooter

Redevelopment In Downtown DeKalb in 1967

From the September 6, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1967, 50 Years Ago.

"A project for the redevelopment of Downtown DeKalb is one step closer to the real thing with the approval of $146,816 in federal funds."

Stores and businesses were moving out to Il. Highway 23 between Sycamore and DeKalb.

--Cooter

Teenage "Rumble" Halted in 1967: It's Rochelle Vs. DeKalb

From the August 30, 2017, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1967, 50 Years Ago.

"DeKalb police halted a teenage 'rumble' Tuesday night before it got underway when officers broke a group of some 30 Rochelle youths and about the same number of DeKalb youngsters on West Lincoln Highway.

"Officers said investigation showed the Rochelle youths had come to DeKalb for the purpose of 'doing battle' with DeKalb teens at a service station parking lot on West Lincoln."

I'd Call Them Juvenile Delinquents.  --CootGang

The Ice Man Goeth in Jan. 1917

From the January 4, 2017, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back.:

1917, 100 Years Ago.

"The warm weather of the past twenty-four hours has held up the ice making proposition and although some of the ice dealers of the city had started marking, the work was halted until colder weather comes again.

"The dairy company had started to mark the Normal (NIU's Lagoon) pond and the youngsters were sorry to lose their skating but now are glad that the warm weather halted the work of the ice man."

--CootIce

Young Hoodlums in DeKalb Back in 1917

From the August 30, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1917, 100 Years Ago.

"Gangs of small hoodlums raising noise and mischief in two neighborhoods were brought to the attention of the police.  One complaint came from Fourth and Oak streets, the other from another section of town.

"The offending youngsters will do well to mend their ways as these locations will be watched closely by the night patrolmen and disturbers will be dealt with."

--Cooter

Making Wheat Pay in 1917

From the August 30, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1917, 100 Years Ago.

"Harry Sittler, a farmer near DeKalb came in yesterday with a heaping wagonload of fine new wheat.  He went home minus the wheat but $1.25.50 richer in pocket, having disposed of his product at the rate of $2.25 per bushel.

"This he considered a pretty fat day's work, even in the present days of inflated markets."

Heaping.  --CootRich

Watch Those Corn Machines in 1942: They'll Get Your Fingers

From the October 27, 2017, MidWeek  (DeKalb County, Illinois) "Looking Back."

1942, 75 Years Ago.

"Within a few weeks farmers will be making use of modern machines, the mechanical device for picking corn.   The machine not only enables them to accomplish a tremendous amount of work but also turns into almost a meat grinder taking an annual toll of fingers, hands, and even arms.

"Farmers are warned to take a few more seconds time and shut off the power of the machine when it becomes jammed with stalks for husks.  Allowing the machine to run and trying to clear the rollers with a gloved hand may be accomplished once and lead to tragedy the second time.

"Shutting off the power is the safe way to handle a dangerous situation."

--Cooter

University of Illinois' Chief Illinewek in 1967

From the October 26, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1967, 50 Years Ago

"Chief Illinewek may just jump a little higher at the University of Illinois football game Saturday.  He's wearing the first new costume he's had in 37 years.

"The Chief is Illinois' traditional gridiron fight symbol."

Well, Not Anymore In These Days of PC.  --Cooter

Marking DeKalb County's First Permanent Settlement in 1917

From the December 20, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1917, 100 Years Ago.

"'Site of the first permanent settlement in DeKalb County (Illinois) by John S. Sebree, 1834, erected by D.A.R. and DeKalb County, 1917, 182 feet west.' This inscription has been carved on a block of red St. Cloud granite which was set up this Tuesday on the site designated, which is in the highway just south of the C.B. & Q railroad track, running north and south about one-half mile west of Hinckley.

"The marker weighs 3,000 pounds.  A proper deed will be obtained assuring the permanency of the monument."

History Even Back In History.  --Cooter

Ground Breaking for New NIU Biological Science Building in 1967

From the December 27, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1967, 50 Years Ago.

"Ground breaking ceremony for the new $4.3 million biological services-nursing education complex at Northern Illinois University was held today.

"The structure, which is named for former NIU biological sciences professor Charles E. Montgomery, will be located in a woods area on NIU's Wast Campus.

This area is right by the Lagoon and off Lincoln Highway.  Construction was delayed at times by students protesting the cutting down of the woods.

--RoadDog

Stealing Christmas Trees in 1942: But, the Scrooge Get Scrooged

From the December 27, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1942, 75 Years Ago.

"Someone who wanted a larger than ordinary Christmas tree and didn't care about paying for it, invaded the farm of Carl Johnson, south of DeKalb and cut down an evergreen out of the windbreak that has been planted near the farmhouse.

"The person or persons cutting the tree evidently were not well acquainted with evergreens as they cut a Norwegian spruce that will probably shed its needles within three or four days after being taken into a warm room."

Serves the Scrooge Right.  Cleanup in the Living Room.  --Cooter

Ice Cutting Time in DeKalb in 1917

From the December 27, 2017, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois)  "Looking Back."

1917, 100 Years Ago.

"The work of harvesting DeKalb's annual ice crop should begin within the next few days, especially if such weather as prevailed here last night continues for any length of time.

"Cold weather, especially below zero, as we have experienced for a week or more, means that the ice is in the process of making and it is very probable that the ice cutters, and numerous wagons, will be getting into town for the work within a very short time."

In the Days Before Refrigerators.  --CootIce

City of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Destroyed in 1917, During World War I

From the December 20, 2017, MidWeek  "Looking Back."

1917, 100 Years Ago.

"The City of Halifax is destroyed by fire."

This would be the Halifax Explosion.  From Wikipedia.

Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.  December 6, 1917.  A Norwegian ship collided with the SS Mont-Blanc, a French cargo ship laden with high explosives.  Approximately 2,000 were killed and another 9,000 injured.  It was the largest man-made explosion before the advent of nuclear weapons.

Horrific.

World War I Chronology, January 1918: Wounded Chevron and NOTS Established

From the April 2017 VFW magazine.

JANUARY 2--  U.S. Army authorizes new insignia -- the wound chevron --  to be awarded to men who are wounded in action and must be treated by a medical doctor, including those gassed.

JANUARY 3--  Naval Overseas Transportation Service (NOTS) is established to control the shipment of supplies to U.S. forces in Europe.

Of the more than 450 cargo ships in the service, only eight will be lost to enemy action.

--Cooter

Elva Red Cross and Afton Raise Money for WW I Effort

From the December 20, 2017, MidWeek (DeKalb County, Illinois_  "Looking Back."

1917, 100 Years Ago.

"The Elva Red Cross held a very pleasant and profitable meeting in the Elva Hall.

"A large crowd was present and the balance of Afton's quota of the war fund was raised."

For the War Effort.  --Cooter

My "Hot" Toys-- Part 2: Airfix HO Soldiers

But even better than the Blue & Gray soldiers were the much smaller, and much less expensive Airfix HO Scale Civil War soldiers which I discovered when we moved to Rolling Meadows, Illinois, in 1963.  When you only get 50 cents a week allowance, this was huge.

The Airfix HO scale soldiers were to go with the HO scale model trains.

They were at the local Ace Hardware right down Kirchoff Road and cost 49 cents for 48 soldiers.  You had to pull them off the plastic runners and file down the stub so they would stand upright correctly.  Now I could make a huge army to fight my wars.

I mostly bought the Union and Confederate soldiers, but they also had soldiers from most wars.  During warmer days, we would go out collecting empty bottles from the neighborhood and we got 2 cents apiece for them.  Get a case and you had another 48 soldiers.  We collected a lot of bottles to say the least.

Recruiting Was Good.  --Cooter

My "Hot" Toys-- Part 1: Oh, Them Soldiers

Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s, my "Hot Toys" were first the Lincoln Logs, Erector Sets and Tinker Toys.  I had one of each.

But, by far the thing I liked the most were soldier sets.  And, of those, the best were Marx Blue & Gray, Fort Apache and the Alamo.  These were by far THE GIFTS I wanted the most.  But they were much too expensive for me to buy so they had to come on Christmas.  Santa got a lot of requests for these.  Each one provided lots of hours of war.

You can still get them, but even more expensive now.  The Marx Blue & Gray costs around $90 for just the soldiers.  Evidently I should have kept the box it came in as you can get one for $70, just the box.

I found a Fort Apache for $125 and Alamos ranging from $100 to $575 for a really big one.

Man, I Sure Loved Those.  --CootToy

Hot Toys From the 1930s to Today-- Part 3: Cabbage Patch Kids, Tickle Me Elmo, Bratz and Hatchimals

1980s:  CABBAGE PATCH KIDS

With their chubby cheeks, lumpy limbs and soft yarn hair, Cabbage Patch Kids had a homespun charm that 80s kids adored.  There were long lines at the stores and reports of parents battling over the scarce dolls.

Also hot: the fast-selling Rubik's Cube (I never had the patience to finish one).

1990s:  TICKLE ME ELMO

Elmo upped his game with an infectious giggle -- and yes, he shook when you rubbed his tummy.

2000s:  BRATZ

The fashion-forward Bratz dolls gave Barbie a run for her money like she had never seen before.

Meanwhile, video game systems such as Game Boy Advance, Nintendo's Wii, the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 were high on many wish lists.

2010s:  HATCHIMALS

At this point a contender.  It is an interactive novelty toy that arrives as an egg and then hathes an imaginaty animal such as an Owlicorn.

Also hot: the girl-friendly Lego Friends line and Shopkins collectibles.

I Feel Left By In the Toy Biz.  Probably Because I'm 66.  --RoadDog

Hot Toys From the 1930s to Today-- Part 2: Hula-Hoops, Barbie and Pet Rocks

1950s:  HULA-HOOP

In the late 1950s, Hawaii became a new state and Elvis was a hip-swiveling superstar and the new must-have toy was a big plastic hoop you kept aloft by gyrating your midsection.  TV commercials also pushed it.

Also hot were Play-Doh, Mr, Potato Head and Silly Putty.

1960s:  BARBIE

Barbie (introduced in 1959) and G.I. Joe (1964) revolutionized the toy category.  Barbie became an industry giant, with about $1 billion in annual gross sales worldwide.

ALSO HOT:  Easy-Bake Oven and Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots.

1970s:  THE PET ROCK

Really clever packaging of a rock, a carrier with air holes and an instruction manual with tongue-in-cheek tips for care and training.

ALSO HOT:  "Star Wars" action figures and the Atari 2600 home video game season.

May the Force Be With You.  --CootWars

Hot Holiday Toys 1930s to Today-- Part 1: Shirley Temple Dolls and Slinkys

From the December 24, 2017, Chicago Tribune by Nara Schoenberg.

"Through the years, children have begged for Slinkys, Shirley Temple dolls, Pet Rocks and Hatchimals.

"The hot toy of the holiday season isn't necessarily the top seller, although it's often in the running.  It's the toy that flat-out dazzles children..."

Adrienne Appell, of the Toy Association gave a list of those hot toys by decade:

1930S:  SHIRLEY TEMPLE DOLL

She was the biggest box office star in Hollywood that everyone thought was absolutely adorable.  But the doll was really pricey for those Depression years.  But the doll sure looked like its namesake.

1940S:  THE SLINKY

At first shoppers weren't interested in paying $1 for what looked like a bedspring.  This changed when Philadelphia's Gimbels department store hosted holiday season demonstrations in 1945.  But when they saw them descending stairs they bought 400 within minutes.

Nothing Like a Slinky Going Down the Stairs.  --CootSlink

Twelfth Year of This Blog

Today marks the beginning of the 12th year of this blog which started in 2007.  It grew out of my Down Da Road I Go blog which was about music, history and what I was doing.  My being a history nut, more and more of that blog was about that subject so I decided to spin this one off, making it my third blog.

Last year, I posted in this blog 407 times and this is the 4,824th article.

This one used to also include the Civil War and World War II as well as the War of 1812, but I have since spun those out into separate blogs.

--Cooter