Winegar (now Presque Isle) in World War 1

The United States entered WWI in 1816 and the call went out for men to fight. The lumber town then known as Winegar had 30 able-bodied men go off to fight. WWI ended in November 1918 and the troops began demobilizing and returning home. On 4 October 1919, the surviving 28 Winegar servicemen arrived home on the C&NW train and the town turned out to great them. Lead by a band, the soldiers and townspeople marched up Main St to the schoolhouse where photos were taken and remarks were made. That weekend, a large banquet was held to celebrate their return.

The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917. The nation mobilized rapidly as fighting-age men were encouraged to enlist and draft boards were activated to call men into service. The lumber town of Winegar answered the call; 30 able-bodied men went off to serve and two died in service. In early 1918 over 10,000 U.S. troops were arriving daily in Europe to reinforce the weary Allied armies. The infusion of American troops and supplies was central to the defeat of the German Empire and the Kaiser’s army surrendered on November 11, 1918.

Demobilization began promptly and troops returned home as transport became available, but the complexity of returning such a large force was huge and slow. The Winegar contingent arrived home on the daily run of the Chicago & NorthWestern Railroad from Mercer on Saturday, October 4, 1919 -- and the town turned out to greet them.

Townspeople awaited the arrival of train at the terminal (where today Hwy B intersects Hwy W). With a ten-piece band in the lead, the returning troops marched up Main Street followed by townspeople. Along their way, flag-waving residents cheered from their front porches. The crowd stopped and assembled in front of the schoolhouse (where today the Heritage Cottage sits across from the Bank). The band played, remarks were given by the church pastor, and the troops stood in formation for the photographer, up from Antigo, to record the event. They all then marched back down Main Street before breaking formation to gather their trunks and return home to welcoming families.

That weekend the town hosted a joyous banquet in the large 2nd story auditorium of the Pool & Dance Hall/Movie Theater/Ice-Cream Parlor which was across from the Boarding House at the corner of Main and Lake Streets. By all reports, the celebration was grand. The Winegar saw-mill made important contributions to the WW I mobilization as it had large stocks of badly needed dried lumber ready for shipment. The mill surged to full capacity production with wives and others responding to the need for mill workers. The return of the soldiers was a welcome relief to the town and the mill continued to operate profitably through the decade of the 1920’s.

, Presque Isle Heritage Society. 1919 WWI Veteran Celebration in Winegar, Accessed December 4th, 2024. https://www.presqueisleheritage.org/wwi-celebration.