Shortly after the war was declared, at a neighborly gathering at the home of Mrs. J. P. Ward in Vevay, the possibility of a Red Cross organization was discussed, and on the following Sunday an invitation was read from various church pulpits asking the ladies to meet at the home of Mrs. E. M. Stevens for the purpose of doing war work. Quite a number women responded, and at this meeting plans were made to organize a Red Cross Chapter in Switzerland county. A communication was sent to the Red Cross State Headquarters and following receipt of instructions from there application was made for a charter, the application being signed by twelve persons.

    Upon recipt of permission for a Chapter the organization was completed May 23, 1917, Judge F. M. Griffith being named Chairman, Dr. John P. Ward, Vice-Chairman; Miss Alice Yonge, Secretary, and C. C. Shaw, Treasurer. The following nine directors were also chosen:

    F. M. Griffith, E. M. Stevens, and Miss Alice Yonge to hold office until October 31, 1917; R. N. Tirey, John P. Ward and Albert S. Woollen to hold until October 31, 1918; R. M. Campbell, C. C. Shaw and Mrs. E. P. Danglade to hold until October 31, 1919, or until their successors were elected.

    The Chairman appointed the following Executive Committee: R. N. Tirey, R. M. Campbell, John P. Ward, C. C. Shaw, and Mrs. E. P. Danglade.

    On October 28, 1917, the annual election of the Chapter was held. Dr. John P. Ward was chosen Chairman and served faithfully throughout the duration of the war. The Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary were retained. Three directors were elected to hold office until October 31, 1919, or longer if necessary. Their names follow: F. M. Griffith, E. M. Stevens and Dr. R. M. Copeland.

    When the first War Fund Drive began the organization was just getting started. A finance committee was named to handle the drive, and it was composed of R. M. Campbell, Chairman; C. S. Tandy, C. C. Shaw, Mrs. W. W. Fry, and Miss Evelyn Craig. Eight team captains were named: A. B. Shaw, L. E. Smith, Frank Riley, O. P. Courtney, W. W. Fry, A. V. Danner, W. J. Cotton and Rev. W. T. Dart.

    Switzerland county's proportion of the War Fund was $1,500. The drive was opened in Vevay with a mass meeting in the Court House on Sunday, June 17, 1917. About 200 people attended the meeting at which talks were made by local citizens and a patriotic program was rendered. Sunday night four car loads of Vevay people went to Patriot where a meeting was addressed by Judge F. M. Griffith and Mayor R. M. Campbell. During the remainder of the week a "flying squadron," accompanied by Rev. Caton, a State Headquarters man, held nightly meetings at towns in the county. As a result of the drive Switzerland county went over the top, subscribing $2,277.87.

    Following the organization of the Red Cross Chapter in Vevay fourteen auxiliaries were formed in various parts of the county and the Red Cross continued to grow until the membership numbered 3,000. This was an average of one member out of about every three inhabitants in the county. A dollar paid for a year's membership in the organization.

    Following are the names of the fourteen auxiliaries that were organized in the county, and each auxiliary's Chairman and Treasurer.

Allensville—Mrs. Henry Downey, Chairman; Miss Emma Gary, Treasurer
Bennington—Miss Jessie Lock, Chairman; Mrs. Florence Rochat, Treasurer
Braytown—Mrs. E. W. Shaw, Chairman; Mrs. Charles Lorch, Treasurer
Center Square—Mrs. Jno. Peabody, Chairman; Mrs. Clarence Stevens, Treasurer
East Enterprise—Mrs. Adolphus Hyde, Chairman; Miss Minnie Stow, Treasurer
Florence—Lecil Peak Gullion, Chairman; Mrs. Dora Parker, Treasurer
Fairview—Mrs. Festus Flynn, Chairman; Mrs. Nellie Lee, Treasurer
Mt. Sterling—Mrs. Tom Cotton, Chairman; Miss Cleta Griffith, Treasurer
Lamb—Mrs. Mary Robenstein, Chairman; Mrs. Leslie Scott, Treasurer
Moorefield—Mrs. George Copeland, Chairman; Miss Nell Culbertson, Treasurer
Markland—Miss Golda Shanahan, Chairman; Mrs. S. L. Benedict, Treasurer
Patriot—Miss Fanny White, Chairman; Miss Minnie Schroeder, Treasurer
Quercus Grove—Mrs. Ira Nave, Chairman; Miss Gladys Wilson, Treasurer
River—Mrs. Earl Shaw, Chairman; Miss Mable Kirkpatrick, Treasurer

    The second Red Cross War Fund, $3,000, was not raised by popular subscription. Between the first and second Red Cross drives for funds a County War Chest Organization had been formed, and the county's quota in this drive was paid out by the War Chest Organization.

    Once each week, from the day the Switzerland County Chapter was organized until the close of the war, hundreds of women met at the Chapter Headquarters, and at auxiliaries, and sewed on garments for refugees, surgical dressings, hospital supplies and articles for soldiers, marines and sailors.

    After American soldiers went into action in France in the summer of 1917, wounded men were suffering and dying for proper care and the dressing of the shell-torn flesh. A call came for surgical dressings and Switzerland county's women quickly responded, being eager to provide these essentials by which many lives were saved.

    The Switzerland County Chapter needed an instructor. The Madison Chapter, learning of this need, offered to train some one, and Miss Edith Golay volunteered to take the course of instruction. She satisfactorily passed the examination and received the instructor's certificate.

    For a time after its organization, the Switzerland County Chapter held their meeting in the Vevay M. E. church. From there they opened headquarters in the High School auditorium, but when fall came, larger quarters were needed. At this time the Vevay Deposit Bank said: "Accept rooms in our building," and free of any charges, and few other Chapters throughout the state had better equipment or more pleasant quarters.

    Miss Golay organized a surgical dressing training class, and throughout the remainder of the war every moment of her time was devoted to this work. Each day she superintended the work of different classes, and the writer sincerely believes that no person in Switzerland county did more for the boys at the front than Miss Golay.

    Those who studied the required course, passed both oral and written examination with the highest merits, and were presented with an instructor's certificate by the Division Superintendent at Cleveland, Ohio, as follows: Mrs. William O. Protsman, Mrs. Lucille Shaw, Mrs. H. M. Thiebaud, Miss Anna Sutherland, Miss Afra Brindley, Miss Pauline Banta and Miss Julia Tandy.

    Besided the above class there were a large number of women who gave equally as much time by the real making of dressings. Many thousands of yards of materials were used. Gauze compresses of all sizes, cotton pads and pads of various materials, muslin bandages, a total of 14,700. These dressings were so accurately made, folded and packed, that the inspector at the shipping point said, "They are perfectly made."

    Six times every week this splendid organization met. Day after day, week after week and month after month the women went to the Red Cross rooms and worked for the boys at the front. With every stitch went an unspoken prayer that that particular bandage would be the means of saving some mother's son. So closely and diligently did they apply their energies that their names should be linked forever with the victory which came on November 11, 1918. We name them as follows:

Mrs. R. M. Copeland	Miss Jennie Demann
Miss Sara Hall	Miss Mary Waldenmaier
Mrs. Frank Riley	Mrs. L. H. Bear
Miss Fannie Culbertson	Miss Laura Lamson
Mrs. John Brockschlager	Mrs. William E. Ogle
Mrs. Joe Krummel	Miss Hannah Waldenmaier
Mrs. William Burton	Miss Fanny Shadday
Mrs. Laurie Brown	Mrs. Julia Williams
Mrs. Will Stevens	Mrs. Julia Gaudin
Miss Mary Lanham	Mrs. A. J. Williams
Miss Elizabeth Brockschlager	Mrs. Jacob Wahl
Miss Beatrice Babcock	Miss Mable Babcock
Miss Helen Protsman	Miss Mary Miller
Mrs. James S. Wright	Miss Julia Knox
Miss Jeanette Copeland	Mrs. Ben M. Bledsoe
Mrs. Fred L. Haskell	Miss Emma Brockschlager
Miss Anna Brockschlager	Mrs. Everett O'Neal
Mrs. Wilbur Houze	Miss Annette Danglade
Mrs. E. P. Danglade	Miss Falba Lyons
Miss Nella Reser	Mrs. Fred Binder
Miss Grace Golay	Miss Anna Lura Baird
Miss Irene Babcock

    Following is a brief summary of the work done by the Switzerland County Red Cross Chapter and its fourteen auxiliaries:

Refugee Garments	2,467
Surgical Dressings	14,700
Hospital Supplies	3,742
Hospital Garments	4,183
Articles for Soldiers, Marines and Sailors	2,293
	———
Total articles made	27,385

    The organization shipped 3,832 pounds of worn clothing to refugees, 44 quilts and 9 barrels and bags of nuts, the latter being used to manufacture carbon, a substance that saved soldiers from death by German gas.

Amount of money received from memberships	$6,093.00
Donations	1,936.47

    Besides the work done at home by the Chapter and its auxiliaries five of the county's young ladies volunteered as Red Cross nurses, namely as follows: Miss Stella Miller, Miss Lula Schroeder, Miss Lula Shanahan, Miss Mae Shanahan and Miss Nina Washmuth. The first four named served many months at hospitals near the firing line, while Miss Washmuth's service was among the sick in the camps.

    The Home Service Section of the Red Cross was organized February 15, 1918, with Wallace J. Cotton Chairman and Miss Evelyn Craig Executive Secretary. Other members of the committee were Mrs. C. S. Tandy, Miss Julia Dufour, Miss Hannah Waldenmaier, Rev. W. E. Brown, Rev. W. T. Dart, Dr. H. M. Thiebaud, Dr. L. H. Bear and James S. Wright.

    The following chairman were chosen for the townships and each chairman was given the privilege of selecting his own committee:

Cotton Township, Eugene Stoops

Posey Township, E. E. Hufford

Pleasant Township, W. Scott Welch

Craig Township, James Banta

York Township, Edgar Siebenthal

Jefferson Township, Clarence Stevens

    The regular meeting of the joint committees was held the first Friday in each month.

    The Home Service Section gave information and assistance of various kinds to about one hundred soldiers' families. In some cases money was given. Delayed allotments were looked after, compensation was secured, the sick in the familly were given medical attendance. Soldiers whose whereabouts had become unknown were located. At the end of the war earlier discharges were secured for many soldiers who were needed at home. And the disabled were urged to avail themselves of the vocational training provided them by the government.