McFarland Honors World War I Soldiers

press release: On the 11^thhour of the 11^thday of the 11^thmonth in 1918, Germany signed terms to end the fighting and guns went quiet along the Western Front in France ending four long and bloody years of terrible conflict. 

The McFarland Historical Society will host a special Open House at the historical museum at 5814 Main Street on Sunday, November 11, from 1 pm to 4 pm to commemorate this 100^thanniversary of the signing of the Armistice ending World War I. Visitors can view specific World War I displays and the society will conduct a short presentation at 2 pm in remembrance of those local soldiers who served their country.

According to records from the Wisconsin Veterans Museum, McFarland had at least 51 soldiers involved in World War I. The McFarland museum’s “Wisconsin in the Great War” exhibit features information and personal items of some of McFarland’s doughboys. In this display a manikin is in uniform as a soldier from the 32^ndDivision. Known as the Red Arrow division, it had the largest concentration of Badgers and played a significant role in three major offensives leading up to the Armistice with Germany. Another part of this exhibit is the re-creation of a trench wall on the edge of “No man’s land.

Two McFarland soldiers, Alvin Edwards and Helmer Nelson, died in France in 1918 shortly before the Armistice was signed. They were buried in the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery and in 1930 their mothers made a government –sponsored pilgrimage to France and visited their sons’ gravesites. “A Gold Star Mother’s Pilgrimage” display features photos, a diary and other meaningful artifacts from this trip. Recently the McFarland Historical Society received a mini-grant from the Wisconsin Historical Society to create a digitized version of this unique exhibit.

Started in 1964, the McFarland Historical Society is a non-profit volunteer organization supported through memberships, donations and fundraisers. Please come visit the museum and support our community in honoring its World War I soldiers on this historic day.