MONTICELLO — According to the November 13, 1918, issue of the Monticello Messenger, “Monticello was wild with joy over peace news,” when World War I ended.
That moment of recognition will soon be recreated in Monticello to commemorate the event 100 years later. Members from the historical society have taken bits from newspapers and talk of townspeople to recreate the time when the war finally ended.
“The 1918 newspaper recorded that the chimes rang victorious at the church, the fire bell rang and steam whistles were blown throughout the town,” said Jules Cappelle, Monticello Area Historical Society collection archivist and retired teacher.
From 10 a.m. to noon Sunday, Nov. 11, members of the Monticello Area Historical Society, local residents, visitors and students will recreate the festive and memorable day in Monticello with “Doughnuts for Doughboys.”
“Plan to attend and listen for patriotic music from the chimes at the church, many students from the middle school will keep the fire department bell ringing and the steam whistle provided by Jim Faith (Faith Engineering, Inc.) will be in front of the Monticello Area Historical Society Museum,” Cappelle said.
Anyone who wishes can come inside the museum to then lay eyes upon photographs of local soldiers along with several other displays. Newspaper clippings of letters written home from the front lines, a chaplain’s uniform and discharge papers from Melvin Lynn, who owned Monticello’s longtime drug store, will be among the exhibition.
Doughnuts donated by the owners of Gempeler’s Supermarket will be served, along with coffee supplied by the owners of the Morning Mug.
“Just like the Salvation Army did for the soldiers 100 years ago,” Cappelle said.
Cappelle gives credit for the re-enactment in part to Carrie Meyer, who wrote the book, “Letters from the Boys, Wisconsin World War I Soldiers Write Home,” published in March by the Wisconsin Historical Society Press. Meyer is an associate professor of economics at George Mason University in Virginia.
As she researched for her book, Cappelle said Meyer came across several letters from soldiers serving on the front lines to family members back home in southern Wisconsin. The letters were published in local newspapers and Meyer amassed many of them into her book to help tell their stories.
“Meyer compiled the letters into a book that tells the stories of several Green County boys and what they saw, from preparing for war, to life among French families near the front and the terror on the battlefield,” Cappelle said.
Meyer said that she was amazed at the quality of the letters she found from the Green County archives.
“It never occurred that so many of the letters from the Wisconsin boys stationed in France would be about food,” Meyer said. “But, of course, they were writing to their mothers who wanted to know that they were eating well.”
Cappelle started researching the November 1918 issues of the Monticello Messenger, searching for articles about the end of World War I.
“I came across the article, ‘Monticello was wild with joy over peace news,’” Cappelle said.
She said historical society members felt it was something they could recreate. Lance Smith, pastor of Zwingli United Church of Christ in Monticello, also helped contribute with patriotic music for the chimes.
“After that, things started to snowball,” Cappelle said.
Several people will don costumes from that time period and storefronts have been decorated for the occasion as well. Chris Seitz, a World War I re-enactor from New Glarus, will attend wearing a World War I uniform and will bring the World War I uniform the belonged to his grandfather, a native of Monticello.
Cappelle is thrilled at the community involvement during event planning.
“Many of the displays were assembled by community members and were displayed during Monticello’s Homecoming celebration in July,” Cappelle said. “Everyone has been extremely supportive.”
She added that in the original article it was noted that the chimes, bells and steam whistles could be heard for miles around.
“We’ll see what happens and what people say when the chimes, bells and steam whistles are located among buildings and it begins to echo,” Cappelle said with a laugh. “If anyone asks who suggested that we re-create the noise, I guess I’m the guilty party.
“We have tremendous respect for our Veterans and the service they did for our Country and for the Monticello community,” he said.
Cappelle mentioned that the Monticello Area Historical Society also has other resources for those who are interested in World War I history.
“We recently listed the scrapbook collection of Great Grandma Rose Figi-Voegeli, whose family owned Voegeli Chevrolet,” Cappelle said. “This is a goldmine of information.”
The Monticello Area Historical Society is currently accepting donations for the elevator restoration project and members plan on using donations from “Doughnuts for Doughboys” to help with the project.
Sue Rieder, secretary of the Monticello Area Historical Society, said society members have been very busy planning the event since the summer.
“We have more than 100 members and we are very dedicated to the ‘Doughnuts for Doughboys’ event,” Rieder said. “And we always welcome new members.”
Hours of operation for the Monticello Area Historical Society Museum are May through October but can be open by appointment for anyone or a group hoping to stop. MAHS meetings are held the fourth Thursday of every month except July, November and December in the north room of the Zwingli Church Annex in Monticello. Visit monticellohistoricalsociety.org for more information.
