The steam whistles from the lumber mills and the shipyards sounded at 5 in the morning and did not stop. Soon people were outside cheering and firing “every known weapon and some that were not known to exist at that time.”
Fighting in the Great War had ended with the Paris, France, Armistice at 11 a.m. on the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918. It was 5 a.m. in Orange, Texas.
Workers at the lumber mills and shipyards were on their way to work, but turned around. The day was declared a holiday.
The Orange Daily Leader, published on the afternoon of November 11, 1918, reported that in a few minutes the streets were filled with cars decorated with American flags and bunting. “To enumerate the different parades that were formed spontaneously would be like trying to count the pebbles on the beach,” the reporter wrote.
Women had tears running down their cheeks as they cheered. Men walked up to strangers and shook their hands. A man with a large flag paraded around by himself, the flag waving as he walked.
Mayor Sholars called order after a couple of hours and plans were made to have a more organized celebration in the afternoon.
Orange had a growth boom with the war because of the shipyards and the lumber mills. Great wooden ships were built for the war effort. The population grew from about 5,500 to an estimated 20,000.
The paper on November 12, 1918, had the headline “Peace Parade Largest in City History.”
Though the celebration on November 11 had lasted “all day long into late at night non-stop,” the organized parade was the biggest event.
The participants assembled early in the afternoon at the courthouse square, which is where the current courthouse stands.
First came the Painters Union “with banners proudly held aloft.” Next came the Orange Fire Department with its bright red truck carrying Mayor Sholars and other city officials. The firemen rode in the other department vehicles.
Then came the soldiers in town, described as “lads in khaki,” followed by the Ship Caprenters and Caulkers Union. Next came the International Shipyard Company’s employees. The parent also included the International Shipbuilding blacksmiths, “a finer, stronger group it would surely tax the most diligent searchers to find.”
Dozens of decorated cars also traveled in the parade.
The next year, President Woodrow Wilson declared Armistice Day, November 11, as a national holiday. Armistice Day was marked as such until 19
In 1918, people thought the world involved in fighting would never happen again. But a century later, history showed another worldwide conflict started 29 years later.
Dwight Eisenhower, one of the most famous generals of World War II, was elected president. In 1954, he created the national holiday of Veterans Day to honor everyone who had fought in all wars or served in the military. Since that time, November 11 has been Veterans.
However, Veterans Day was not always marked on November 11. The U.S. Veterans Administration website said in 1968, the uniform holiday bill was passed to put federal holidays on a Monday to allow for three-day weekends. The bill took effect in 1971 when October 25 ended up as Veterans Day.
President Gerald Ford, a World War II Navy veteran, signed a bill in 1975 to return Veterans Day to November 11 because of its significance. The holiday was officially changed back in 1978 and has been marked on November 11 for the past 40 years.
-Margaret Toal, KOGT-
Social Media