In conjunction with the state and national commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of World War I, the exhibit committee is currently working
on a project for the 2017-2018 season which will examine the impact of WWI on Moorestown. Our plan is to open the exhibit in the fall.
The World War I memorial in the lobby of Moorestown High School, lists 100 MHS students who served during the war. The list includes names that are synonymous with the history of the town. Names like Barcklow, Bender, Conrow, French, Laessle, Lippincott, Makin, Oldershaw, Snyder, Sutton, Wiltshire and Workman are among those listed, and that is just from those who attended the High School.
The practice of organizing military units on a geographic basis created a scenario where soldiers from one community often found themselves in the same unit. So it was that many of the men from Moorestown serving in the war found their way into what has been described as the “point of the edge” in the final offensive to break the back of the Germans.
Many Moorestonians were members of the 311th Regiment of the 78th Infantry Division, also known as the “Lightning Division”. They fought in all of the major battles of the war that involved the American Army including the battle of Saint Mihiel and Meuse Argonne. General Pershing said of the 78th that they “will always be remembered in the history of the American Expeditionary Forces”.
While we have a lot of material from previous exhibits and our documentary film, “Moorestonians in Time of War”, we would really welcome any contributions to this exhibit from our members. Do you have any photographs, memorabilia, or any information that may be helpful to us, either about those who served in the military, life on the home front, or materials such letters, articles, and meeting minutes, about the local Quakers who opposed the war? We would especially like copies of the Moorestown Chronicle from 1917-1918. If so, we would love to hear from you!
Call us at 856-235-0353 or email us at
moorestownhistory@comcast.net
Moorestown & WW1
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