West Liberty History 1838-1938

Source: One Hundred Years of History
* Commemorating a Century of Progress in the West Liberty Community * WEST LIBERTY, IOWA
WAR SERVICE FLAG

A $11,500.00 World War service flaghangs in the American Legion home. Looking at the banner, you can see nothing about it which would command such a price. The only gold about it is the color of the six stars---two of them mounted on small red crosses. Of course the flag is well done---the material is of good quality, the sewing is excellent, and the symbolic stars are symetrically placed.

The six stars signify the supreme sacrifice of Lieut. Col. Clark Elliott, privates Mansell Phillips, Dell Raver, Albert Marticke, and the two red cross nurses, Ella Noring and Elsie Davis, whose stars are marked with crosses.

The flag was made by Mrs. J. L. Peters, now deceased, a farm housewife who lived near West Liberty, and mother of two sons, Ernest and Chester, who were in the service. Red, white and blue muslin made up the banner, which measures 10 by 12 feet. Into the flags field went fifty-four blue stars, representing a Wapsinonoc or Goshen township youth who was in the United States service. As time passed and enlistments were increased, Mrs. Peters addded stars. When she finished, there were ninety-four more in the flag's border.

Meanwhile the drive for funds for the overseas struggle was intensified throughout the United States. In the spring of 1918, there came to West Liberty as to all other communities of this nation, a cry for more money for the Red Cross. It was then that the late B. W. Rowlen was struck with an idea. "Let's have an auction sale," he said. " Sell whatever folks will donate but above all, sell the service flag."

On Saturday afternoon, March 23, 1918 the Red Cross auction sale was held in the Griggs Bros. pavillion with a grand total of $13,500.00.

The response to the call for the goods was so generous that the large pavillion was literally packed, there were all kinds of livestock, canned goods, baked goods, dry goods, furniture, everything, with the service flag hanging in the east end of the building.

P. N. Gibson and Fred Albin were the auctioneers with Chet Grigg and Pliny Nichols as assistants. Ray Witacre and Ivan Noland were the clerks, with most of the population of Wapsinonoc and Goshen township present.

The program for the afternoon began with a parade from the West school building led by the Junior Red Cross, and every child from the two townships was proud to be there. Upon arrival at the pavillion the band played "The Star Spangled Banner," Rev Schondelmayer called the assemblage to order, Rev. Hankins gave the invocation, a quartet, Lynn Watters, Roy Tharp, S. H. Archibald and Allen Hemmingway sang two numbers, Rev. McInturff gave a brief patriotic address, then P. N. Gibson took the stand and with a few well chosen patriotic words called for bids on the service flag and the sale was on.

James D. Potter, now deceased, bid on the banner for $50.00 and immediately announced he would put up the flag for resale.

"In a short time," contemporary accounts state, "there were 100 sales of $50.00 each and many at $40.00. These were followed by sales at $25.00, then $15.00 and so on down to $2.50.

West Liberty residents say the sale set a national record for such an event, considering the location and population. Whether it did or not, there seems little doubt that Mrs. Peter's flying fingers fashioned Iowa's most valuable service flag.

---