Lasting Memories of the First World War in Ohio

By Cyrus Moore III, Ohio World War I Centennial Committee

July 23, 2019

Scattered throughout the state of Ohio are reminders of the First World War. Not unlike the war itself, these mementos—be they statues, plaques, or markers—are often overlooked or not fully appreciated by Ohioans today. They are, however, vital to the state’s history. A century after the end of the war, they record the efforts of Ohioans who experienced the war firsthand, and they reminders of the strong desire to protect democracy that motivated citizens to serve their country in a foreign war.

Immediately after the war, when memory of the efforts and sacrifices of Ohioans was still vivid, communities celebrated their participated in the war with parades and memorial dedications. Veterans of the First World War were once a familiar sight at these events. One Hundred years after the end of the war, the veterans are gone; the last Ohio veteran of the war, Russell Coffey, having passed away in 2007 at the age of 109. Without any living memory of the war, monuments are all that remain.

Young veterans of the First World War, some wearing their service uniforms, participating in a parade sometime in the 1930s. Courtesy of the Baltimore Community Museum.

Perhaps the most prevalent reminders of the war are monuments erected by communities and dedicated to local soldiers. Most iconic of these are the large monuments prominently featuring statues of soldiers, called “Doughboys” in the era. Ohio is fortunate to have a number of statues, many of which were sculpted by Viquesney or Paulding, that portray Doughboys as they would have appeared when fighting overseas. They are dedicated to the Ohio soldiers who fought in the war and the communities that supported them. Not all monuments are topped with statues though. In some communities simple plaques or stones commemorate the sacrifices made by local soldiers.

Plaque dedicated to the Marietta College Ambulance Unit, located in Marietta. Photo by the author.

There are also monuments that remember the war effort on the home front. Communities were rewarded for buying bonds and participating in the War Savings Stamp campaign, in effect loaning money to the government. A plaque in New Philadelphia celebrates the large amount of stamps purchased by the people on Tuscarawas County in 1918.

War Savings Stamp Plaque in New Philadelphia. Photo by the author.

In addition to the monuments, there are other forms of memorials to those who perished in the war. Some buildings constructed after the war were dedicated to fallen soldiers. The most visible example of these are American Legion Posts, almost always named after a local soldier who gave their life fighting in the First World War. The Memorial Building in Jackson was built by the Works Progress Administration to house city offices and was named in honor of those who served. It also originally included space for an American Legion Post.

Sadly, though many monuments that remember the First World War survive in Ohio, some have disappeared since their inception. Most notable among these is the Ohio World War I Memorial, established at the Ohio State University in 1926. Four large bronze sculpted panels illustrating different aspects of the war were set in a marble rotunda with a stained glass dome. Unfortunately, the room was disassembled in 1970 and the bronze panels placed in storage, where they have remained since, despite efforts leading up the war's centennial to find a new home for them. Though plans to return the panels to a public space did not materialize, the centennial was an opportunity to rededicate, and in the case of the town of McConnelsville, restore First World War statues.

Ohio is fortunate to have such a wide assortment of memorials dedicated to the First World War. The many statues, monuments, and plaques are testament to the war's importance to Ohioans. It is important to appreciate, and at times protect these mementos, so that the First World War and what it meant to the people of Ohio are not forgotten.