Valley Girl Views: November 11 1918 - When The Valley Celebrated the Armistice

Throughout the valley, on November 11 1918, with news that an armistice had been signed, schools and factories closed, and parades were held. Effigies were burned, speeches were given, and the terms of the armistice were read aloud in the streets.

Here's what the local papers had to say about the local celebrations:

Armistice Parade, Williamsport PA

Milton

In Milton, the town was "aroused from their slumbers at 3 o'clock am by the blowing of the whistles and the ringing of the bells"

Milton went "fairly mad with real joy. Shortly after the news was confirmed, the people, young and old, were out parading the streets making noises that would have scared the Kaiser and all of his followers into fits had they been here."

Mayor Rhoads declared the day a public holiday. Stores, industries, and schools closed. A parade was held at 2:30pm, "a pageant the like of which Milton never saw before and may never see again."

The Miltonian reported that fully 5,000 people were in line for the parade, marching through the principal streets.

The parade was headed by mounted state police, and included the West Milton band, and Trates band from Watsontown. Many improvised musical organizations were also interspersed throughout.

Almost every organization in Milton was in the parade.

The Milton Manufacturing Company has a display of big shells on a truck with a card bearing the inscription "This is what did the business".

The American Car and Foundry Company had nearly 100 men from the pressed steel department in line carrying gas tanks on their backs. (the tanks were made "for Uncle Sam for overseas service"

A mass meeting was held in front of the Elks club following the parade. There were prayers and speeches, and a reading of the terms of the armistice.

The celebration continued into the night, and an image of the Kaiser was hung on a scaffold on Broadway and burned.

Armistice Parade, Williamsport PA

Lewisburg
In Lewisburg, the parade was held On Tuesday November 12. It was scheduled to start at 7:30, but was delayed on account of the "poor trolley service" not bringing one of the bands on time.
Church bells and whistles on all of the factories in town rang from 7:30 to 7:35, when the parade was scheduled to start.

Five bands furnished the music for two and a half miles of "shouting, jubilant Americans".
The parade, which formed in the east end of town, included:
Chief Marshall: Col. W.R. Follmer
Aides: Lt Cold Barber and Attorney Cloyd N. Steininger
Capt. Beazeley's battalion of men from the Bucknell S.A.T.C.
Members of the Andrew Tucker Post No 52 of the GAR
as well as representatives from the Henry Wilson post from Milton
The local GAR were headed by veterans James B. Forest and Daniel B. Myers, carrying "flags they have carried on many other occasions."
A number of Spanish-American war veterans
Lieut. Ralph Bechtel headed the second division of the parade, along with the West Milton Band.
In this division were the Boy Scouts, the ladies of the Red Cross, the young ladies from the Women's College, scholars from the High School, & grammar school
The Salvation Army Band from Milton, and the F.G.F. club.
The Red Cross Hospital until had a "unique display on a truck" and there was a "truck representing the work of the Comfort Kit club and others"
The 3rd division was headed by J. Herbert Walker as marshal. It included:
The Montgomery Band, town council, men and women carrying service flags representing their sons in service, clerks and employees of C. Dreisbach sons, professional men, merchants, clerks, citizens in general, and the fire department with all of their equipment.
The fourth division was lead by L.E. Bechetl of the John Wildi evaporated milk co.
In this division marched: 300 employees of the Lewisburg Chair Factory, Employees of the Lewisburg Mills, Employees of the Wildi evaporated Milk Company, employees of the Quaker Manufacturing Co, and employees from teh Musser knitting mills.
The last division of the parade was marshaled by Elmer Wagner, and consisted of "floats, fantastics, and otherwise decorated automobiles"

November 11th 1918 Armistice Parade, Williamsport PA

November 11, 1921 Armistice Day parade on Mill Street in Danville

Danville

In Danville, a telegram arrived from Washington confirming the news. "It was scarcely eight o'clock when the bells began to ring and the whistles to blow."

"At three of our large industries the men who had reported to work left in a body. It was not long until a parade was underway."

Although a formal demonstration was being arranged, there was "scarcely an hour of the day when groups of people - mostly boys and girls - led by drums and carrying banners, might not have been seen on the streets."

The Elks club took the lead in organizing a formal victory parade. It was lead by members of the Elks, and "patriotic marchers", with the procession growing until thousands took part in the celebration. Following the parade the members of the band were entertained in the Elks rooms.

The employees of the Reading Iron works then announced that they would hold a parade the following night, at 7:30.

A large flag raising was held on the mountain north of town before the parade on the 12th.

In the Reading Iron Works Parade on Tuesday November 12th:

There were 3 bands: The Citizens Band of Danville, The Bloomsburg Band and the Washington Drum Corps.

Dr Cameron Shultz was chief marshal, along with H.D. Swank & T.G. Ryan as assistant marshals.

"There was probably not an industry in Danville that was not represented by its employees. Few however marched in body, but were scattered along the line."

Many of the marchers were dressed in costumes, "made up as masqueraders", adding "a note of gayety to the celebration"

The procession included horses and trucks draped with flags and filled with people. Dwellings and businesses were lit from top to bottom, and thousands lined the streets to cheer on the parade.

"Wherever one looked - along the line of buildings or up and down the moving column of humanity that filled the streets - one saw flags - a common mixture of warm colors. "

Nov 11 1918, Armistice Parade, Williamsport PA

Northumberland

Nov 11 1918, Armistice Parade, Williamsport PA

Sunbury

Chief Burgess Clement urged all churches to hold thank services beginning the evening of the 11th.

The Silk Mill and Converting works were closed, and as "many employees of the railroad company as possible" were released from duty.

School attendance was so low as to virtually force a holiday.

Williamsport

"Armistice Night, 1918 "

George B. Luks (1867-1933)

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

This photo is from 1919, when the soldiers returned home.

"The Armistice Day parade of returned Battery D soldiers marched under a specially constructed Victory Arch in front of what in 1919 was the post office. That building today is City Hall. The 36-foot-high arch was the center of homecoming for Battery D. It had a clearance of 20 feet to permit trolley cars to pass underneath. It was erected in May 1919 by James V. Bennett Co. and designed by Fred Schautz and F. Arthur Rianhard."

Armistice Day Parades were held yearly - much as our Memorial Day Parades are held today. This photo is from August 1945.

This photo is labeled "JAPAN SURRENDERS: Some 25,000 people lined the streets downtown and another 10,000 jammed within hearing distance of a spontaneous parade here the evening of Aug. 14, 1945. The “Armistice Day Parade” of 2,000 participants, seen here in the 200 block of West Fourth Street"

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