Wooster in the First World War: Conflict and Cooperation
By Shannon Dade
The United States declared war on Germany on the 6th of April 1917, signaling the nation’s official entry into World War I. Although many in Wooster initially hoped that America would maintain its neutral position and stay out of the conflict, by 1917 the townspeople expressed overwhelming support for the nation’s involvement.
From army registration to Liberty Bonds drives, Wooster’s patriotic zeal was palpable. Just as the Wooster papers glorified the town’s enlisted men, they also made heroes of the farmers who fed the troops and women who supported them. For others, however, this nationalistic fervor was not so auspicious, as the fear of German infiltration led to discrimination against large segments of the community.