Clippings of the Sykesville Herald Newspaper
World War I
These excerpts are clipped directly from the Sykesville Herald (from 1923-1940s, known as the Herald Messenger, under the same publishers) newspaper, published in Sykesville, Maryland from 1913 until the 1980s.
Work is underway to continue to document important happenings by topic for better access of the public. If there is a topic in which you are interested but do not see posted on our website, contact us to see if it is in our digital system, but not yet online!
Small Box Gas Mask
This type of gas mask was used from 1917-1918 and was designed to protect the wearer from chlorine, phosgene, and mustard gas. Although the invention of gas masks in 1916 reduced fatalities, models like this one were prone to tears in the breathing tube, eye glass fogging, and faulty filtration. The filter in this box is made of peach pits, which were collected in American school cafeterias and sent to the US government for this use.
Gift of Howard Smith, 2020.
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May 31, 1917
This image of the front page of the Herald shows the reminder to register for the draft and outlines the rules of registration.
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Enlistment notices in the Herald do not typically include photographs, but in this case, both what is said and not said is revealing about what people on the Homefront in Sykesville knew about their soldiers abroad.
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Letters from home were frequently published in the Herald, but notices like this one, detailing happenings of local soldiers abroad in photos were less common.
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The disappearance of the Naval ship, the Collier Cyclops remains the largest non-combat loss of life in US maritime history. Local soldier, Burt J. Asper was one of only two of Sykesville's citizens not to come home at the end of World War I.
1917 Post Card
This Postcard (without text) was posted to Mayna Dwyer of Gaithersburg, MD, postmarked September 4, 1918. It shows a casual camp scene during World War I. This object is part of our permanent display on World War I at the Museum. Purchase of Museum.
WWI Mess Kit
A mess kit is used for food while at war or when camping. This mess kit has a detachable hook for silverware (which the fork received with the object does not attach to), and the canteen is etched with the name "SELBY." Purchase of Museum.
Purple Heart of Nathan Calbin Hobbs
Nathan Hobbs was injured in World War I with multiple shrapnel wounds to the legs during fighting at Meuse-Argonne. The Meuse-Argonne offensive (Sept. 26, 1918-Nov. 11, 1918 [Armistice Day])was the largest and deadliest US offensive in US military history at the time, involving 1.2 million American soldiers. Object ID: 2020.667
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Outfitting a US Soldier for World War I was considered to be expensive. $1 at the end of World War I could purchase what $21 does in the year 2025. This is a good example of how inflation rates don't apply to all types of goods.
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The Principal of Sykesville School (which at the time served grades 1-7 and was attempting to establish an accredited High School program) joined the Navy during World War I. Although no students at the school were old enough to enlist in this war, many would in the next World War.
August 30, 1917
School for grades 1-7 was made mandatory in 1917 in Maryland, and the same year, enough students were consistently in attendance at Sykesville school to add high school grades. The community had been trying to get certification as a high school for almost two decades.