Larger size of newspaper appears at the end of this blog entry.
When I began my World War I project I read somewhere that after the war, audiences could view the conflict in the comfort of their local movie theater. Then I later read that those weren’t really accurate films, but ones made by an enterprise in New Jersey. I dropped the film subject, forgot where I found the information, and went on with other pursuits of the time period.
While I was searching for newspaper comments about November 1918 in north Texas, I decided to use the Jacksboro Gazette in Jack County. From 1871 through 1997 members of my family, all six generations including myself, have called Jack County home. Many of the online newspapers from one hundred years ago can be found at “Portals to Texas”, a wonderful website posted by the University of North Texas. Once one learns to use the site, it is unbelievably filled with Texas history in all 254 counties.
While scanning through the local weekly newspaper, I decided to check out what my Coley family was doing at that time. In January 1920 I found my grandfather’s name listed in the cast of a movie documenting experiences of the 90th Division, American Expeditionary Forces. That Division was composed of volunteers from Oklahoma and much of north Texas.
There was a half-page ad is the Gazette promoting the film. About a dozen men who served were mentioned as members of the action. One of the men was a good friend of my grandfather’s. I suspect their time together in war-torn Alsace-Lorraine created a lifetime bond between the two men.
Now comes the hard part. Where can I find a copy of the film? Almost all of the existing films taken by the U. S. Army Signal Corps from 1917 to 1919 are now at the National Archives in Washington, D. C. Because of the fragile condition of century old footage the films are rare. Film decay and arbitrary disposal of attributed to the loss of the films.
So I plan to contact the National Archives to determine if there is any chance that one particular film is al least partially intact and has been copied. Film aficionados are definitely into preservation of old movies. Of the thousands such films around, many have been restored, I hope the one I am interested in has been,
Now to another subject, next Saturday morning, November 10 at 11:00 A.M. the Hunt County Commissioners and members of the Hunt County Historical Commission will honor those men who lost their lives defending democracy throughout the entire world. The ceremony takes place on the steps of the north side of the courthouse. There is no charge, it will be fairly brief, but will recognize those brave men. Please join us.
