"Preserving the Past. Protecting the Future." the Protecting Past. the "Preserving Volume 14, Issue 4 Fall 2017 World War I in Fairfax County Historic Fairfax City, Inc. by William Page Johnson, II "Fare Fac - Say Do" America Enters the War Executive Officers John A.C. Keith President By 1917 World War I had been raging in Europe for nearly Jenée L. Lindner Vice-Pres. three years. In Russia, an ally of Britain and France, there was Albert L. Leightley Treasurer Linda M. Barringhaus Secretary widespread opposition to the war. This culminated in the Russian Revolution of February - October 1917 and the collapse of the Eastern Hildie Carney Director Patricia A. Fabio Director Front. Morale in Britain and France was also low as were both credit Mary D. Gauthier Director and manpower necessary to prosecute the war. Bolstered by this, Germany, one Fairfax, VA 22030 VA Fairfax, Linda C. Goldstein Director D. Lee Hubbard Director of Central Powers, attempted to bring the war to a quick conclusion by resuming 10209 Main Street Main 10209 Hon. Wm. Page Johnson, II Director Benny Leonard Director unrestricted submarine warfare in the Atlantic and re-establishing the naval blockade John A.C. Keith, President Keith, A.C. John Jenée L. Lindner Director Wayne A. Morris Director against Britain and France. Return Address - Historic Fairfax City, Inc. City, Fairfax Historic - Address Return John P. Murphy Director Mary S. Petersen Director On February 24, Hon. Penny A. Rood Director Edward C. Trexler, Jr. Director 1917 a diplomatic Matthew T. West Director Vacant Director telegram from Germany Vacant Director to Mexico, known as the Zimmerman The Newsletter of Cable, was intercepted by the British and passed on to the Historic Fairfax City, Inc. Americans. The telegram informed Mexico of Germany’s intention to resume submarine warfare and suggested a military alliance with Mexico. In exchange, Germany would assist Mexico in regaining the territory – Arizona, California, New The Fare Facs Gazette © 2017 Mexico and Texas – ceded to the United States at the end of Editor: William Page Johnson, II the Mexican–American War seventy years before.1 In late February 1917, Germany resumed its indiscriminate U-boat campaign in the North Atlantic. Several merchant ships were sunk resulting in the deaths of several Americans. Simultaneously, the Zimmerman telegram was made public sparking outrage among the American people and strengthening President Wilson’s resolve to ask Congress for a declaration of war against Germany. On April 2, 1917, President Woodrow Wilson addressed a joint session of Congress calling on them to World War I Recruitment Poster, 1917 E-mail: [email protected] Artist: James Montgomery Flagg, Website: www.historicfairfax.org declare war on Germany to make the world “safe for Source: Library of Congress, Wasington, D.C. Continued on Page 6 Volume 14, Issue 4 The Fair Facs Gazette Fall 2017 Volume 14, Issue 4 The Fair Facs Gazette Fall 2017 From the Desk of the President- At the Fairfax Museum 150 Years Ago (contd.) 200 Years Ago November 2017 and Historic Blenheim... The second half of the year has been active and Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center successful for HFCI. On June 17th, we helped our partners from the Historic Resources Staff tend an information table The Fairfax Story - Hamill Gallery. Permanent Fairfax at Fairfax County’s 275th Birthday Celebration, providing history exhibition. visitors with materials about the historic sites and opportunities available in the City. We proudly marched Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center “Second (some in full costumes!) in the Fourth of July Parade and Sunday” Programs received an Honorable Mention award for our efforts. Programs are held at 2 p.m. on the second Sunday of each month. Unless otherwise noted, programs are held In August, we nominated Board Member, Mary at the Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center, 10209 Main Gautier as our “Volunteer of the Year.” Mary has indeed Street. Free (unless noted). Check back to find out about been an enthusiastic and tireless volunteer who contributed additional programs planned throughout the year. her energy and talents to virtually every HFCI project and Information: 703-385-8414. event. Mary is retiring from the HFCI Board at the end of this year to enjoy some well-deserved rest. We will surely Sunday,January 14, 2 p.m. miss her! “I Can Not Tell a Lie: Myths about George Alexandria Gazette, October 25, 1867, p. 3, c. 1. Washington That Should Be Discarded” In September our annual wine-tasting and silent auction event, Taste of the Vine, was a great success. We Illustrated talk and discussion with Dr. Peter Henriques, Alexandria Gazette, September 20, 1817, p. 4, c. 2. featured wines from Effingham Manor Winery, which were historian and professor emeritus from George Mason very well received. Food was catered by Villa Mozart, University. Book signing and sale will follow the talk. and a cheese and hors d’ oeuvre table was organized by none other than the aforementioned Mary Gautier. Sunday, February 11, 2 p.m. We are fortunate to have such a rich heritage in “Soil Tilled by Free Men: The Formation of a Virginia and right here in our home town. HFCI works to Free Black Community in Fairfax County” foster interest in our local history and to help preserve our surviving historical treasures. Serving on our Board of Historians Susan Hellman and Maddy McCoy will present Directors is interesting and rewarding. If you have an excerpts from their study of the African American Alexandria Gazette, November 6, 1867, p. 3, c. 1. interest in joining our Board, please let me know, and I community around George Washington’s Mount Vernon will tell you more about what we do. Estate. Their article, “Soil Tilled by Free Men...” was published by the Virginia Historical Society in 2017. John Keith, HFCI President Sunday, March 11, 2 p.m. - CITY HALL 10455 Alexandria Gazette, October 18, 1817, p. 3, c. 3. Armstrong Street “Women Back to the Future—Nevertheless She Persisted!” A historical performance by Kate Campbell Stevenson Visit us on the web: portraying Bessie Coleman, African American aviator; HFCI Website! Louise Arner Boyd, Artic explorer, and Rachel Carson, scientist and conservationist. Stevenson will conclude the Alexandria Gazette, December 16, 1867, p. 3, c. 1. http://www.historicfairfax.org performance by highlighting contemporary women role Daily National Intelligencer, December 22, 1817, p. 1, c. 4. 2 19 Volume 14, Issue 4 The Fair Facs Gazette Fall 2017 Volume 14, Issue 4 The Fair Facs Gazette Fall 2017 models in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Saturday, January 27, 2 p.m. 100 Years Ago (STEM). Free. All ages are welcome. This special “Binding Wounds, Pushing Boundaries: African- Women’s History Month Program is sponsored by the Americans in Civil War Medicine.” Commission for Women and Fairfax Museum and Visitor Center. Jill Newmark, Exhibition Specialist of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health, will Evening Star, October 21, 1917, p. 8, c. 2. Sunday, April 8, 2 p.m. discuss the contributions of African-American medical Program is not confirmed. Call 703-385-8414 after personnel during the Civil War. February 14 for an update. Saturday, February 24, 2 p.m. Sunday, May 6, 2 p.m. “Music in the Life of President Lincoln” The General in the Garden: George Washington’s Landscape at Mount Vernon “Music in the Life of President Lincoln” is a 40-minute video recording of a music program documenting Lincoln’s Adam Erby, Assistant Curator at Mount Vernon, will musical preferences and experiences. The film is interwoven explore Washington’s influence over the gardens at Mount with narration by WETA’s Robert Aubry Davis. Davis and Vernon and the preservation of the landscapes by the Lincoln author Elizabeth Brownstein will discuss the Mount Vernon Ladies Association. Book signing and sale program research and answer questions from the audience. will follow the talk. Limited to 80 people. Sunday, June 10, 2 p.m. “The Yanks are Coming (Eventually): Hearing Saturday, March 24, 2 p.m. America Change, 1914-1919” “Patrick & Me: A Family Saga of The Evening Star, December 21, 1917, p. 5, c. 2. Underground Railroad.” Historical performer and music historian Michael Lasser will discuss songs from World War 1 and how the era’s Anthony Cohen, of the Menare Foundation and Button 150 Years Ago popular music traced the changes in American attitudes Hill Farm In Germantown, MD, will relate his tales of toward the war. discovery and self-discovery from his two re-created travels on the Underground Railroad. Family research led him to Patrick, an ancestor who escaped from slavery on the Evening Star, October 2, 1917, p. 9, c. 5. Civil War Interpretive Center at Historic Underground Railroad. His film, “Patrick and Me” will be Blenheim released nationwide in 2019. PERMANENT EXHIBITION Saturday, April 8, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. * NEW EVENT * Alexandria, Gazette, October 8, 1867, p. 3, c.2. “Blenheim’s Civil War Soldier Signatures: A Diary Fairfax History Day-more information to follow soon. on Walls”. Explores the local Fairfax Court House history and the experiences of soldiers who wrote on the walls of Saturday, May 19, 2 p.m. the Willcoxon home (Historic Blenheim.) The replica attic “Graffiti Symposium” is a life-sized replica of the house attic that shows the clearest graffiti in the house. Speakers and topics include: Kim O’Connell, the history of Civil War Graffiti; Conservator Chris Mills, the technical Historic Blenheim Civil War Interpretive Center Program side of graffiti conservation, and Conservator Kirsten Series Programs are free and held at 2 p.m. on Saturdays Moffitt, graffiti investigation and conservation at Historic (unless otherwise noted) at the Civil War Interpretive Blenheim.