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Feature Article on W.W.II and the
Home Front. Topic: WAR, INDUSTRY
Written by Rich Wallace in May, 2000
THE BATTLE BACK HOME |
| Note: This is the first in a series
of two articles which explored the sacrifices and successes of those who fought the battle
at home in Shelby County, Ohio, during World War II. It was published on May 24, 2000, in
conjunction with the World War II
exhibit on display (May 8 - August 1, 2000) at the Ross Historical Center.The heroic struggles of the fighting
men in World War II have been well documented by many, including Tom Brokaw in his recent
book, "The Greatest Generation." The wartime efforts of those who stayed home
have received much less attention. Faced with food shortages, blackouts and the demand for
increased production at work, the record of local accomplishments was outstanding.
To put in context what Shelby Countians accomplished during the war; it is necessary to
begin with a series of articles concerning Sidney, Ohio, that appeared in three national
magazines in the late 1930’s.
The authors of pieces in Forbes, Wall Street Journal and Reader's Digest
uniformly praised Sidney as "the only perfect case of recovery from the Great
Depression" in the country. Because of a variety of reasons, Sidney entered World War
II with only 22 people on relief out of a population of 10,000. The Reader's Digest
article appropriately noted Sidney's citizens "don't like government
spoon-feeding." Local ownership of virtually all Sidney industries was also cited as an important
factor in ensuring everyone possible had jobs.
The most serious hometown issue facing Sidney when the news
about Pearl Harbor was received was therefore how to meet an ever-growing demand for
workers from companies with large defense contracts, such as Monarch, Copeland, Stolle, Sidney Tool and Ross Aluminum. Most companies had three shifts
a day, and several worked seven days a week.
Mayor John Sexauer, in a report to the community printed in the August 18, 1942, issue
of the Sidney Daily News, summarized the numbers. Employment had increased by 160%
since the end of World War I while the area population rose by only 40%. Mayor Sexauer
concluded "The things I've found convince me that once more we're setting an example
for the whole country, just as we did a few years back."
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