Citizens' Committee [for] Recruiting [for] the Polish Army in France.
Program, 1967.
Milwaukee Small Collection 146
Fiftieth anniversary program of the Committee, which was created in 1917 to recruit a Polish army for the Western Front. The program includes a history of the events preceeding the Committee's organization; the work of the Committee and its recruiters; and a list of patrons.

Clark, Elmer F.
Correspondence, 1913-1920.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 187
Correspondence, mainly 1916-1918, written by Clark, a private with Battery A, 120th Field Artillery of the 32nd Division during World War I. The majority of the letters were written to his mother, Mrs. Andrew Anderson of Milwaukee. They concern training at Camp Douglas, Wisconsin, and Camp MacArthur in Waco, Texas, as well as trench warfare in France. Gassed in August 1918, Clark was hospitalized for several months and several letters concern his health and recovery. A few letters received by Mrs. Anderson are from her nephew Thomas Condon. The single 1920 item in the collection is a letter to her explaining the circumstances of Condon’s death. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Dahmer, Harry.
Letters, 1918-1919.
UWM Manuscript Collection 148

The collection consists of a series of love letters written by Harry Dahmer, a private in Company A, 10th Infantry Replacement Company, to Sylvia Steffen of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The letters give brief accounts of basic training, the climate in Texas, and reminiscences of Milwaukee and Wisconsin. Dahmer also provides short descriptions of leisure activities in camp at Le Mons, France, such as baseball and music, and of visiting Paris and St. Malo, France. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Earling, Albert J., 1848-1925.
Papers, 1901-1948.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection BP
Collection includes the papers of Albert Earling, president of the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railway Company; his daughter, Harriet Earling Dake; and Lawrence Fitch, Mrs. Dake's first husband. The greater part of the collection concerns Mrs. Dake's social and civic interests, including files on the Fatherless Children of France and the Women's Club of Wisconsin. There are also clippings relating to Mrs. Dake and the Earling and Fitch families, and genealogies of the Earling, Fitch, and Tilton families. There is some biographical information on Albert Earling and a few business letters. Correspondents include William Rockefeller, Theodore Roosevelt, and Herbert Hoover.

During World War I, Mrs. Dake, then Mrs. Fitch, organized and directed the Fatherless Children of France project in the Milwaukee area. She was also instrumental in forming Foster Mothers of America, an organization designed to care for war orphans. For these activities, the French government awarded her the Legion of Honor medal. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Fitzgerald, M. Eleanor (Mary Eleanor), 1877-1955.
Papers, 1915-1974.
UWM Manuscript Collection 13
Papers of a Wisconsin labor advocate, political lecturer, and theatrical manager. Included are correspondence, passports and diaries, plays and programs, memorabilia, and photographs documenting Fitzgerald's activity in the anarchist/labor movement, the Provincetown Playhouse, and other theatrical companies, such as the Dramatic Workshop of the New School for Social Research. Particular emphasis is given to her work with the playwrights and actors of the experimental Provincetown Playhouse theater group.

Through her involvement with the anarchist movement, Fitzgerald met Emma Goldman and Alexander Berkman, joining them in the publication of the Mother Earth Bulletin around 1906. During World War I (1914-1918) she turned her attention to the political prisoners-the conscientious objectors. She raised money for their bail and defense and spoke in their behalf. She also co-edited The Blast: Revolutionary Labor Weekly at this time. She left the movement in 1918 when Goldman and Berkman were deported. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Fitzpatrick, Edward A. (Edward Augustus), 1884-1960.
Papers, 1914-1960.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection AZ
In addition to editing Catholic School Journal, Edward A. Fitzpatrick was also the head of Wisconsin's draft administration during World War I. His papers include only a few folders of correspondence. The letters, 1915 to 1960, are arranged chronologically by month, and consist of both incoming and outgoing mail. The manuscript material by Dr. Fitzpatrick makes up the bulk of the collection. It consists of articles, book reviews, speeches, drafts for books, reports, contracts, and faculty memoranda. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Grand Avenue Congregational Church (Milwaukee, Wis.).
Records, 1857-1977.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 128
Records, mainly 1910-1965, of a Milwaukee church founded in 1847 as the Free Congregational Church, later known as the Spring Street Congregational Church, and renamed the Grand Avenue Congregational Church in 1881. Since 1961 the congregation has been a member of the United Church of Christ. Included are published histories and information on anniversary observances; newspaper clippings and photographs; minutes and correspondence of congregational meetings, the Church Council, and many governing boards and committees; financial and other administrative records; incomplete membership records, and numerous publications including annual reports, newsletters, and church bulletins. Activities of the women in the congregation are documented by minutes, financial information, and other records of the Women's Guild and its many circles, the Home and Foreign Missionary societies, and other groups. There is also information on the United Church of Christ merger and on participation in area ecumenical activities. Also here are files on the honor roll maintained during World War I and World War II as well as some correspondence between the pastor and service men and women from the congregation. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Gregory, John Goadby, 1856- .
Papers, 1846-1946.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 94
Consists largely of incoming correspondence from prominent Milwaukee citizens and social clubs to Gregory, editor of Milwaukee Evening Wisconsin, concerning social events, requests for publication of items, and appreciations on newspaper notices. The Milwaukee Evening Wisconsin, with which Gregory was associated for about forty years, was one of the city's leading newspapers.

In 1918 the Evening Wisconsin was sold to the Hearst interests and Gregory's long connection with newspaper work ended. For a year he was professor of journalism at Marquette University. In 1919 he was appointed secretary of the War History Commission in Madison, working with the State Historical Society in collecting and editing records of World War I for publication. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Gurda, Francis S., 1895-1976. Papers, 1886-1981. Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 49

Papers of a Milwaukee architect and engineer, and of his family. Family photos include a wedding photo of Sylvester and Victoria (Orzechowski) Gurda and a photo of Leon Gurda with the Company K staff, 127th Infantry National Guard, at Camp MacArthur in Waco, Texas on November 4, 1917. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Haessler, Carl, 1888-1972.
Biographical information, 1918.
Milwaukee Small Collection 77
Biographical information on a socialist previously employed at the Milwaukee Leader, who was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for having refused to serve in the U.S. Army during World War I because of his belief that "commercial imperialists" brought about the United States entry into the war.

Hardie, George, 1912-2001.
Papers, 1880-2001.
UWM Manuscript Collection 65
This collection contains personal materials of Milwaukee area aviation historian, enthusiast and collector George Hardie. Hardie’s passion for aviation began at a young age with his collection ranging from materials on airplane model building, to aircraft design and construction in the jet age. The significant areas of the collection focus on General “Billy” Mitchell, early Wisconsin aviator John Kaminski, the American Aviation Historical Society (AAHS) and the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), of which he was a founding member. Also included is extensive material on early aviation in Wisconsin, which includes information about Alfred Lawson, who was founder of the Lawson Aircraft Company, and said to have built the first airliner in the world. Much of the material in these areas include correspondence between Hardie and prominent figures in aviation, as well as other aviation enthusiasts, and numerous aviation photographs. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Hitz family.
Papers, 1835-1993.
UWM Manuscript Collection 56

Papers of the Hitz family, compiled by John B. Hitz, with some information on other extended family, especially Frederick C. Winkler, mostly from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Includes family correspondence, mainly discussing their personal affairs, photographs, scrapbooks and artifacts that focus on the lives of these family members and other relatives; and genealogical histories for the Hitz and Winkler families. Of special interest is the typescript account of Carl Winkler's 1843 emigration from Bremen to New York; the letters and military records of Rudolph Hitz, who served as a surgeon in the U.S. Army in the Montana Territory from 1867-1870; and Henry Hitz's letters from the Army

(where he was a surgeon) during World War I. The collection contains photographs of Frederick C. Winkler who served in the Civil War as a brevet brigadier general, but only a few of his wartime letters, which largely discuss family matters. The collection also contains news clippings, notes, and letters of Harold Hitz Burton, J. Edgar Hoover, Helen Keller, and Norman Mailer, usually about personal affairs, sent to members of the Hitz family. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Kaminski, John G., 1893-1960.
Papers, 1912-1960.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 146
Papers of a Polish American aviator, stunt pilot, and the first licensed pilot in Wisconsin, mainly documenting the period of his active career, 1912-1919. Includes correspondence and contracts with the Curtiss Exhibition Company concerning exhibition flights; and broadsides, newsclippings, and numerous photographs and newsclippings documenting his flights. The photographs are mostly of Kaminski and his Curtiss Model D pusher aircraft "Sweetheart," taken between 1912-1914 at public exhibitions or flight training schools.

Also includes some photos of Kaminski's crash at the Milwaukee Yacht Club in June 1915 and at Tomahawk, Wisconsin on 4 July 1914; and of his aircraft and fellow pilots in the 7th Aero Squadron stationed in Panama during World War I. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Kissel Kar Company.
Records, 1905-1935, 1961.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection BQ
Contains correspondence and business records (1905-1935) of the Hartford (Washington County), Wisconsin company and the Kissel family, and the company's various branch agencies, including loan applications, financial papers, correspondence relating to patents, and a manuscript copy of the company's history, published in Antique Automobile magazine (September-October, 1961). During World War I the Kissel firm went into the production of trucks for the Army, and during the later months of the war devoted itself almost entirely to the production of trucks. During the war the Kissel plant employed as many as 1,400 workers. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Kwasniewski, Roman B. J., 1886-1980.
Photographs, 1907-1947.
UWM Manuscript Collection 19
Kwasniewski was a photographer who worked in Milwaukee's Polish-American community (Polonia). Most of the pictures were created by Kwasniewski at his Park Studio in Milwaukee. Most of the photographic images depict family events such as anniversaries, first communions, funerals, graduations, and weddings. Kwasniewski did photograph some military personnel. Finding aid available in the Archives.

LaPhilliph, Robert Snover.
Papers, 1917-1918.
Milwaukee Small Collection 201
Photocopy of a letter dated October 7, 1917 written by Robert S. LaPhillip of Milwaukee, Wisconsin to a friend in the army stationed in Waco, Texas. While the letter is mainly humorous banter between friends, it reveals homefront attitudes toward Germans and those on the political left. Also included is a copy of LaPhillip's draft notice and registration certificate.

Mallory, James Augustus, 1827-1899. Mallory family papers, 1821-1918. Milwaukee Small Collection 42

Papers of the Mallory family, including miscellaneous papers and certificates and a 1862 Civil War diary (containing mostly financial information) of James, who served in Company H, 24th Wisconsin Infantry; a few Confederate bank notes; U.S. Supreme Court certificates to James and Rollin B. Mallory to serve as counselors to the court; and official thanks to Jennie M. for helping procure binoculars for the U.S. Navy's World War I "Eyes for the Fleet" campaign, signed by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Mariner, John W., 1868-1930.
Papers, 1881-1946.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection D
Family papers including John Mariner's business correspondence and records relating to his investments in the Ontonagon and Brule River Railroad Company of Michigan (1892-1946); and the J. J. Hof Land Company, and its successor firms, Northern Colonization Company, Mariner and Kurtz Company, and the Mariner Land Company. Also contains records (1917-1944) of the National League of Women's Service, an unofficial patriotic organization on which Mrs. Mariner served, documenting the Wisconsin groups that worked with the League, especially during World War I.

During World War I, Mrs. John W. Mariner served as state chairman of the National League for Woman's Service, an unofficial patriotic organization. More than half of the papers concern the records of this organization. Included are Wisconsin membership lists, minutes of meetings, and reports, but the major portion consists of correspondence with the national office of the League, with local chairman, and with the Council of Defense, the Woman's Liberty Loan Committee, War Savings Committee, and other state groups with which the League cooperated. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Mathews, Stella S., 1868?-1949.
Papers, 1919-1949.
Milwaukee Small Collection 84

Papers of a registered nurse who served with the Army and with the American Red Cross in France, Poland, and Greece. Mathews was born in Albion, Illinois, and in 1904 entered the Knowlton (later Columbia) School of Nursing in Milwaukee. After her graduation, she worked briefly in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, then became supervisor of Children's Hospital in Milwaukee. Mathews was instrumental in organizing Milwaukee County nurses, and in 1915, she established the Nurses' Club and Official Registry.

She was one of the first to register with the Red Cross Nursing Service, and in 1910 was the first chair of its Wisconsin Committee. In 1918 Mathews left for Europe, in charge of a group of nurses who worked at Base Hospital No. 22 near Bordeaux, France. After the war's end, she volunteered for Red Cross duty in Poland (1920-1922) and Greece (1922-1923). Finding aid available in the Archives.

Nastal, Stanley I. (Stanislaus I.), 1899-1947.
Papers, 1922, 1934-1954.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 69
Records of a pioneer Milwaukee Polish language radio broadcaster and personality and of his son, who succeeded him in 1947. The collection documents this type of ethnic broadcasting and programming from the mid-1930s until its virtual demise in Milwaukee in the mid-1950s. Included are biographical information, a copy of Nastal's World War I reminiscences (1922); and advertising accounts and contracts, correspondence, program logs (in English), and play and advertising scripts (in Polish) from Our Polish Hour and Theater of the Air, programs broadcast by Milwaukee radio stations WEMP and WFOX. There are partially identified recordings of several of the programs. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Peirce, Jonathan L., 1799-1875.
Family papers, 1810-1947.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection BF
The Jonathan L. Peirce papers include correspondence and business papers of Jonathan L. Peirce, Jonathan Franklin Peirce, and Franklin Lovering Peirce, 1810-1918. Jonathan L. Peirce's letters (1820s-1870s) are chiefly to his sister, Nancy Peirce Haynes, in regard to her education in New England during the years, 1827-1833; his father, Moses Peirce; and his brother, also Moses Peirce, relating to real estate and business matters. The collection also contains letters to Angelina Moulton Peirce from her parents, the N. T. Moultons; and her sister and brothers, Bell, John, and Thayer. There are also letters during the 1860s and 1870s from Jonathan L. Peirce and his wife to their son, Jonathan Franklin Peirce, while he was attending Beloit College. Jonathan Franklin Peirce received many letters from his sisters, Hannah and Julia, particularly concerning his school work and education. From the 1890s on, the collection is composed primarily of letters to Jonathan Franklin Peirce from his wife, Ella Crumbaugh Peirce, and his son, Franklin Lovering Peirce dealing with family matters. In 1918, there is a large group of letters written by Franklin Lovering Peirce to his mother while he as stationed as an air cadet in Texas relating general information and incidents about military life. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Pieper, Carl G.
Papers, 1917-1940.
UWM Manuscript Collection 145

Papers of a Milwaukee native and US Army Sergeant 1st Class who served at Base Hospital No. 22 (named Beau Desert) near Bordeaux, France during World War I. Most of the collection consists of photographs, originally stored in two scrapbooks. For preservation reasons, Piepers' scrapbook of Hospital photos was disassembled; his compilation of sightseeing images from France remains in its original scrapbook. The images include unit photographs, and scenes of camp life, German prisoners, hospital wards, nurses, patients, and training in Milwaukee.

The unit was manned by men and women organized by the Milwaukee County chapter of the American Red Cross. A unit history published in 1940 provides details on the origin, operations, and demobilization of the Hospital. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Polish Army Veterans Association of America. Post 3 (Milwaukee, Wis.).
Records, 1920-1974.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 45 and Milwaukee Micro Collection 27
Records of Milwaukee Post 3 of the Stowarzyszenie Weterano Armii Polskiej, or Polish Army Veterans Association (PAVA). PAVA is an organization of Americans and Canadians who enlisted as volunteers in World War I and II service with the Allied Polish Army in Europe. After each of these wars, the duty of providing and securing financial relief for the disabled veterans fell to the association because these veterans of the Polish Army are not entitled to United States Veteran Administration benefits, and as Americans or Canadians they would not receive assistance from Poland. Post 3 was active in patriotic affairs, the life of the Polish community, and the national organization.

Many of the records were written by Barney F. Spott, Sr., founder of the Post, State Commander for many years, frequent delegate to international conventions, and member of the Wisconsin legislature. Records consist of correspondence, minutes, speeches, newspaper clippings, and convention and anniversary books. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Sammond, Frederic, 1895-1966.
Papers, 1917-1965.
Milwaukee Small Collection 3 and Milwaukee Small Collection 79
Milwaukee Small Collection 3 includes a list of names of Milwaukee-Downer College students who presented the national colors to the First Regiment, Wisconsin National Guard in June, 1917. Also includes a 1964 memorandum by Sammond depicting the World War I activities of the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry and explaining military designation and use of flags and standards.

Milwaukee Small Collection 79 includes "A Condensed History of the Milwaukee Auditorium-Arena" written by Sammond in 1965 and papers concerning his World War I experiences as a captain in the 120th Field Artillery Regiment and related topics. Included are letters written by Sammond and his brother Robert Sammond to friends and family in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from Camp MacArthur, Texas, September 1917 through February 1918, and then from France, and two army field message books, August 10 through November 15, 1918, used by Sammond. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Seidel, Emil. Papers, 1906-1940. UWM Manuscript Collection 76 Contains miscellaneous papers, mostly dating 1912-1919, of a Milwaukee political and Socialist leader. Includes drafts and a manuscript booklet on Seidel's defense of his 1910-1912 Socialist mayoral administration in Milwaukee; the first report of the strikers' aid committee organized during the strike against Cudahy Brothers Company and against the Illinois Steel Company in 1919; and information on the Socialists' views against World War I. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Somers, Thomas, 1893-1978.
Letters, 1917-1918, 1970.
UWM Manuscript Collection 197
Papers of a Milwaukee native drafted into the Army near the close of World War I. The collection contains correspondence Somers wrote to his mother talking about his training at Camp Greenleaf in Georgia as well as his position as a clerk there and daily life in the Army. Also included are Somers' draft notice, a photograph of him in military dress, a Thanksgiving menu from Camp Greenleaf, a Red Cross window flag and a song pamphlet. There is also a small collection of newspaper clippings dating from 1918 to the 1970s talking about Thomas Somers' bowling achievements. This collection contains a few artifacts including a Blue Star Service Banner, a National Army arm band, and a corded shoulder knot. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Spott, Barney F. (Bronislaw Francis), 1898-1975.
Papers, 1906-1975.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 41 and Milwaukee Micro Collection 34
Papers of a Milwaukee businessperson and former State Assemblyperson, who was also very active in veterans' and civic organizations. Spott served in the Polish Army during World War I, acting as an aide to General Josef Haller and other Polish officers, prior to his organizing a real estate firm in Milwaukee. He represented the Thirteenth District, Milwaukee County, in the Wisconsin State Assembly for one term, 1927-1929. In private life, he organized Post 3 of the Polish Army Veteran Association, and served as an officer in several other veterans' groups. The collection includes personal and family biographies and papers; photographs of Spott and other veterans; a World War I journal kept by Spott; personal and business tax records; and copies of speeches, drafts, and notes prepared by Spott for presentation to various civic groups. Spott's records of his involvement with veterans' and civic groups consist of correspondence, jubilee and commemorative programs, tax returns, and newsclippings. Among the groups represented are the Americanization League of America, Polish Army Veteran Association, Polish Legion of American Veterans, and the American Legion. In addition, there is a folder of affidavits, correspondence, and legal documents prepared or secured by Spott from the Polish Consulate for members of the Milwaukee Polish community. Also included is a microfilmed scrapbook of newsclippings about veterans' affairs. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Stern, Erich C. (Erich Cramer), 1879-1969.
Papers, 1868-1967.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection EM
Papers of a Milwaukee lawyer and member of the Common Council (1908-1910) and State Assembly (1910-1912). Most of the papers pertain to his activities and Stern family matters during the first half of his life. Most of the Stern family correspondence (1868-1916) is in German, and is indicative of the pro-German leanings of many German Americans before the United States entry into World War I. The correspondence breaks off prior to America's entry and was not resumed. Stern's personal correspondence (1884-1967) is mostly in English, and was largely written early in his life, before his public activities.

Stern's journals (1917-1919) reveal his impassioned opposition to United States involvement in the war, and his fears for the limitations of political freedom imposed as a consequence of the war. Also contains some records of Stern's activities as Council member, including the results of an informal nationwide survey on street maintenance procedures and financing. Collection includes some records on Stern's efforts to establish non-partisan politics in Wisconsin cities. The newsclippings pertain to Stern's youth, his election campaigns, World War I, and miscellaneous activities in which Stern was interested or involved. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Stowarzyszenie Weteranow Armii Polskiej w Ameryce. Post No. 94 (Milwaukee, Wis.).
Records, 1942-1977.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection 51
Records of one of two Milwaukee chapters of the Polish Army Veterans Association of America (Stowarzyszenie Weteranow Armii Polskiej w Ameryce), consisting of minutes of meetings, all in Polish, 1945-1966, and jubilee albums of the Post and its Ladies Auxiliary. The organization is composed of veterans of the Polish army from World Wars I and II, and Americans of Polish descent who served with the American armed forces during World War II. The records of Post No. 94 are incomplete and consist of minutes of meetings, all in Polish with membership and attendance records, 1945-1950 and 1957-1966, and several jubilee albums. Jubilee albums of the Post date from 1942, 1973, and 1977, and list Post members (often with photographs) and the history of the Post. Two jubilee albums of Ladies Auxiliary No. 45, from 1950 and 1961, also contain names and photos of members. Finding aid available in the Archives.

Wild, Robert, 1875-1928.
Family papers, 1825-1937.
Milwaukee Manuscript Collection CJ

Papers of a Milwaukee lawyer and the Wild family, which settled in Milwaukee in 1853. The majority of the collection consists of incoming letters from relatives in Baden, Germany; letters from the Wild children, especially George B., discussing family life, dispersal of relatives, education, World War I, and their movements and interests. Also contains the correspondence and speeches of Robert Wild on women's suffrage and prohibition.Includes letters from the Swayne family to George B. about baseball and miscellaneous issues, valuable largely for their autographs; records concerning the estate of Franz Mohr, a friend of the family; the Milwaukee West Side High School; and the Deutsche Gesellschaft von Milwaukee. Some materials are in German.Finding aid available in the Archives.

Zukowski, Walter, 1899- .
Papers, 1976-1981.
Milwaukee Small Collection 93
Collection includes a folder entitled "An American Born in Poland," consisting of memoirs written in 1981 of Zukowski's boyhood in Poland, his family, emigration to the United States, and life in Milwaukee until 1917. A second folder contains the Memoirs of Sergeant 'Zuki' (written in 1976), which recount Zukowski's military experiences during World War I, based on a diary he kept while serving with an ammunition supply unit of the 32nd "Red Arrow" Division. These include newsclippings, lists of officers and enlisted men, and a list of the dates in places where Zukowski served while in the Army. In addition, there is a small file of correspondence and clippings relating to World War I veterans, "Polish Jokes," and other concerns of the Polish American community. Finding aid available in the Archives.

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