Lee County, Illinois - Chapter 21, 1920

The war activities of the town of Alto were conducted by committees organized by the Lee County Council of Defense. The organization appointed the town committee consisting of M. M. Fell, chairman, Andrew Richolson and Thomas F. Kirby. This committee had charge of the war work in the tnwii. rndcv them, and having charge of the respective school districts, were the foUowini^, also appiiiiifcd by the ( 'ounty organization of the State Council of Defense, as follows:

Acting under the general direction of the committees above named the town after the creation of these committees, in the fall of 1917, subscribed liberally to every call made upon it for money, and in each instance the amount called for was oversubscribed. The allotment of the town for the First and Second Liberty Loans was purchased entirely by the First National Bank of Steward, and by the bank sold afterwards to its customers. The amount so taken under the First loan being $25,000, and under the Second S50,000. The Third loan and subsequent loans were handled in a different way by individual subscribers, and this also was true of the War Savings Stamps campaign.

The town was also a lit)eral subscriber to all funds such as Red Cross and the like. The first Y. AL C. A. campaign realized $600; for the Knights of Columbus $137 was raised. The first Red Cro.ss subscription resulted in .12231.37 being collected, and the United War Work drive in the autumn of 1918, realiz(>d S21S0, when the town's quota was but $1563.7.5.

The Red Cross local organization was very active and a vast amount of work was done by the women of the town. Mrs. Albert Daum was secretary of the organization, and attended to the greater part of the detail and management of the work, but was supported to the fullest extent by substantially all of the other women of the town.

As nearly as now can be ascertained forty-one men from the town of Alto entered the miUtary service, and a considerable number of them became members of the Ameri- can Expeditionary Forces, and were engaged in the great battles in France and Belgium. It has been impossible to ascertain the names and the military record of all of the men. This is to be regretted but a diligent attempt to secure all of this information has resulted in getting tlie names and records only as hereafter given.

H.VRRY Watts Stk.\wbrid(:;e - Son of ]\Ir. and Mrs. H. S. Strawbridge, was born .Ian. 31, 1S91. He enlisted in the Navy Dec. 5, 1917; was a member of Co. H 3(1 Bat.. 4th Regt. at Great Lakes. He was taken sick with Spanish influenza and sent to Great Lakes Hospital and (bed the 27th of September. 191S.

PvT. L. E. Sheklock - Enlisted Oct. 1, 19bS, in the student's Army Ti-aining corps and sent to De Paul University, Chicago, Oct. 3, 19bS. While there lie contracted influenza, and after a few days illness, (He.l Oct. 11, 191S.