From the July 7, 1942 edition of the Vineyard Gazette:

The Island, although proudly maintaining its aloofness from the main when the country is at peace, is one with her when danger threatens.

The Vineyard has been through wars before, it knows the seriousness of them, and has known real deprivation, as in the Revolution and Gray’s raid, which robbed the Island of 10,000 sheep, 300 oxen, the public money and the arms of the militia. Ten thousand troops rendezvoused in Holmes Hole, now Vineyard Haven, camping just across Church street from the present post office.

The Civil War brought its full quota of sorrow and hardship to the Island, serving as well to strike the death blow to the chief support of its people, the whaling industry. And the Spanish-American War, too, left its impression upon the Vineyard.

However, those days are now history and none remembers them from his own experience, but the period of the first World War is clearly drawn in the memories of most of the Island’s inhabitants.

It is interesting in the light of the present day to compare the preparations and activities of the Vineyarders with those which were going on under the same summer skies twenty-five years ago. If a perusal of the files of the Vineyard Gazette in those war years is a criterion, one chief difference seems to mark those days off from these. Today defense is at the top of the list. Then, the production of food led all, and much was written and much was done to increase the food crops of the Island many-fold.

In Edgartown, a town hall meeting attracted an audience of 300, and patriotism ran high. Mrs. Charles F. Shurtleff sang the Star Spangled Banner and the other features of the program were as appropriate. The Martha’s Vineyard Rod and Gun Club unfurled a flag, and Red Cross auxiliaries began to spring up in towns.

The American flag was waved at the masthead of the Gazette in the issue of April 12, 1917, and remained there throughout the war. Under the flag appeared the words, For Flag and Country. In that issue was reported the passage of the war resolution, 82 to 6, in the Senate, 373 to 50 in the House. “Photoplays of patriotism” were shown at the Capawock Theatre.

The first feminine recruit, in an indirect way, was Miss Miriam Butler, now of Edgartown, who began the study of wireless, with a view to becoming an operator. A signal was arranged in Vineyard Haven which would call out the Boy Scouts, “capable of doing great work in this time of watchfulness.” The parents of Earl C. Laidlow offered houses and land at Ocean Heights for a convalescent camp for soldiers. Vineyard Haven harbor was to be carefully guarded.

First aid classes appeared, under D.A.R. auspices then, it seems, while the Daughters also took an active interest in organizing the Red Cross activities, summer people were arriving early and were entering into such humanitarian work.

With the opening of May plans for making the Island self-sustaining were broached more and more frequently. With considerable fanfare and with large headlines in the Gazette, it was announced that 100 acres at Katama were to be planted in beans.

Vineyard Haven entered the picture, with the news that $6,000 had been raised there by the food production and conservation committee, and that permission had been granted to use the state reservation. All over the Island, meetings were held in growing numbers in the interests of the food supply and its conservation.

Definite figures were released, showing that Edgartown had planted twelve and a half acres of corn, eighty-seven and a half of beans, and that Vineyard Haven had put in fifty acres of potatoes, corn, beans, cabbage and turnips. West Tisbury seems to have concentrated on corn. More than 200 boys and girls were caring for their own gardens.

Meantime the first draft call had come and had resulted in the registration of 277 young men between the ages of 21 and 31, in Dukes County. So high was the standard of health shown in the preliminary tests of these candidates for service that it became a matter of comment and congratulation.

Recipes for war soap, war bread, and war cake, for potato bread and rolled oats bread began to appear in the columns of the newspaper, and housewives were urged to use as little wheat as possible.

Harvesting began and Vineyard Haven started to dig its potato crop, announcing that 1,000 bushels was the approximate harvest and urging upon everyone the healthful qualities of the crop. Up-Island children had put up 486 jars of fruit and vegetables, and Stanley Poole had canned clams and lobsters with great success.

Thus the first six months of a previous world conflict wore through. If rumors cropped up, they were quickly quelled, and the Island really did have a prosperous summer. All this becomes clear from the yellowing pages of the Gazette which mirrored the times.

Compiled by Hilary Wall
library@mvgazette.com