Waco Citizens Remember the Great War
Oral History Accounts of WWI
Overview
The Great War naturally brought many changes to the world, but those changes were also felt here locally in the Waco area. The construction of two military bases inside the city proper, Camp MacArthur and Rich Field, had a huge impact on the city's size, demographics, and economy. Local schools and universities suddenly had to contend with a new wartime dynamic in their daily operations, and many German Americans found themselves in tenuous situations as a wave of patriotic fervor swept the nation. In addition, a terrible flu epidemic took its toll on local soldiers and citizens alike.
The Baylor University Institute for Oral History (BUIOH) is proud to present a series of interview excerpts from the archives of BUIOH chronicling the WWI era in Waco. Highlights from nine interview series are available containing the perspectives of individuals ranging from an established political family to rural German American immigrants. This content represents approximately half of the discovered materials covering local topics on WWI. Further interviews are currently being processed for digitization and will be added as they become available.
OHMS-Enhanced Interviews
Interviews in this section are featured on a new software platform recently installed on the Baylor campus named the Oral History Metadata Synchronizer, or OHMS for short. OHMS allows the user to simultaneously engage audio/video with a transcript or index. The WWI in Waco project is the first from BUIOH to employ this technology. The interviews listed below have complete topical indexes to browse - simply click on a topic and select "Play Segment" to advance to that point in the narrative.
Oscar Emil Hessdoerfer
Longtime Waco Resident and Grocer
Wilford Wolfie Naman
Founder of the Waco law firm of Naman, Howell, Smith, and Chase
Mary Kemendo Sendon
Latin Teacher - Waco ISDVideo Interviews
Oscar Emil Hessdoerfer
Longtime Waco Resident and Grocer Oscar Hessdoerfer WWI Memories(Click the link above to open the video in a separate window)
Topics: Impact of WWI on Waco businesses, Waco entrepreneurs during wartime, German-American culture in the early 20th century, German club in Waco, anti-German sentiments, rationing practices, Mollie Adams and Waco's red light district, Interurban train service and other transportation options.
Audio Interviews
Anna Gladys Jenkins Casimir
Graduate of Waco High School/Baylor University - Longtime Calvert School Teacher
Topics: Older Brother's Service in WWI & Return to Baylor, Spanish Flu Epidemic
Harlon M. Fentress
Chairman, Board of Directors - Newspapers Inc., a Texas newspaper chain
Topics: Waco's Changing Demographics, Spanish Flu Epidemic
Lee Lockwood
Waco Businessman and Masonic Leader
Topics: Camp MacArthur's economic impact, military presence at Waco High, Waco's patriotism, theatre promotions during the war, Waco's effort in securing Rich Field, Spanish Flu Epidemic
Howard Herbert Matthies and Olefa Koerth Matthies
Rural German American Grocers
Topics: German American backlash, Liberty Bond quota pressure, Armistice Day celebration and relief, Spanish Flu Epidemic
Louie Edward Mayberry
Descendent of the Founders of the African-American Community of Lincolnville
William Robert "Bob" Poage
US Congressman, 11'th District of Texas - 1936-1978
Topics: Changes Camp MacArthur brought to Waco, early construction of Rich Field, early color blindness tests, Zimmermann Telegram's impact
Mary Kemendo Sendon
Latin Teacher - Waco ISD
Pre-War Topics: Cotton Palace, parades, downtown theaters, circuses and promotions, Waco as "The Athens of Texas"
WWI Topics: German business impact, German POWs, hosting soldiers for dinner, Armistice Day celebrations, mustard gas health complications, French replacing German in high school, patriotic sheet music, Camp MacArthur football games, French culture becoming trendy, Liberty Bond drives, Rich Field aviator pranks, Spanish Flu's impact on Camp MacArthur, military influence on Cotton Palace programming