Beacon of Hope: The Origins of the American Red Cross in Thurston County

red cross olympia
The Red Cross used posters extensively during World War I to promote their various campaigns. This one urges people to join the group. Photo courtesy Library of Congress.
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By Jennifer Crooks

pints logoThe American Red Cross, founded in 1881, has had an impact on the Pacific Northwest long before the creation of the Thurston County Chapter of the Red Cross in 1917. Formed to be part of the American homefront during World War I (1914-1918), the Red Cross in Thurston County survived World War I and later World War II. It continues to do good work today as part of the Mount Rainier Chapter. This chapter presently includes Grays Harbor, Lewis, Mason, Pierce, and Thurston Counties.

Even before the United States officially entered World War I in April 1917, many Americans believed that their country would enter the war and wanted to be ready. As part of this “preparedness” movement, twenty-six socially prominent women met at the Governor’s Mansion in Olympia on February 18, 1917. Their goal was to organize a Red Cross chapter for Thurston County.

red cross olympia
The Red Cross used posters extensively during World War I to promote their various campaigns. This one urges people to join the group. Photo courtesy Library of Congress.

Six of them signed a petition for a charter on February 24 which was issued and received on March 26. Thus, March 26 can be considered the “official” birthday of the Chapter. Later changing its name to the Thurston County Chapter, the organization oversaw the entire county except for Tenino and Tono which had its own organization at the time. During World War I twenty-six auxiliaries were formed besides the support that the Chapter enjoyed from Olympia churches, lodges, and clubs.

Indeed, the Red Cross received much community support from the beginning. For their first Christmas Roll Call in December 1917 they gained 4,284 members while in December 1918 they enrolled 7,048 members (by their own estimate, most of the adults in Thurston County). Junior Red Cross members, schoolchildren too young to join the regular Red Cross, totaled 2,400 for the whole county during the war. Relying on donations, the Chapter’s first headquarters was at the Kneeland Hotel in Olympia but soon moved to 526 Main Street (now Capitol Way) for the remainder of the war.

In 1917 and 1918 the Red Cross engaged in many activities to support relief efforts. A major part of this was producing supplies for soldiers and refugees. By their own estimates, over 800 women sewed for the Red Cross. They made a total of 19,470 hospital garments as well as 3,108 garments for refugees. Knitters produced 5,092 garments such as socks, mittens and sweaters. Red Cross volunteers also made over 27,145 surgical dressings and 10,000 gauze masks. Many of these surgical dressings were made with sphagnum moss, a special type of moss that is particularly absorbent. The moss was gathered, sorted and processed by local volunteers.

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One major activity of the Red Cross today is offering classes. The author’s grandfather, Andrew “Andy” Crooks (1923-1990), whose badge is seen here, taught first aid. Photo courtesy Jennifer Crooks.

Furthermore, the Red Cross carried out activities to help soldiers stationed in the region. Besides visiting nearby Camp Lewis (now Joint Base Lewis-McCord) and sending care packages to soldiers, the Thurston County Red Cross regularly held dances for soldiers visiting Olympia on weekends on leave. The Leopold Schmidt Estate offered use of the Tumwater Club to the Red Cross, who held most of their dances there. Also using Central Hall for jitney dances, the Red Cross endeavored to both raise funds to support its own activities while providing a safe, wholesome environment for soldiers and local girls.

A less famous but very important job of the Red Cross was the “Home Service” committee which provided relief to families in need, including medical services. In 1918 alone the Committee rendered special services to 375 families, sent information to 241 families and gave $1,826.91 in financial assistance to others. During the deadly 1918 Influenza pandemic, the Red Cross helped organize county nurses. Helping victims carried risks and Mrs. Leota Rose, chairman of the Home Service Committee, would eventually die of the disease. After the war ended, this branch continued to offer its invaluable services.

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Women all around the country were urged to knit socks for soldiers. Hundreds of Thurston County volunteers produced thousands of garments. Photo courtesy Library of Congress.

Reaching overseas, the Red Cross did numerous activities during World War I such as collecting linen to send to war torn France, gathering used clothing to send to European refugees, and collecting fruit pits to make gas mask filters. One interesting Red Cross fundraiser in the summer of 1918 was sponsoring two families of sheep on the State Capitol grounds (currently the Superintendent of Public Instruction Building). Beloved by local children and adults alike, after a season of grazing the sheep were raffled off for $500.

After World War I ended in November 1918, the Red Cross remained an active force in Thurston County. They aided veterans in securing government benefits, vocational training, and employment and in 1922 the Red Cross formed a full medical clinic. The Red Cross was also very active on the homefront during World War II (1941-1945).

Today the Red Cross performs many valuable services, including providing disaster relief, contacting and locating loved ones, supporting members of the Armed Forces, teaching classes on disaster preparedness and first aid, and running blood drives. Yet the overall mission of the Red Cross remains unchanged. As Louise Ayer, chapter secretary, reflected in her report after World War I that “it is the ambition of this Chapter that in peace as in war the Red Cross shall be a beacon of hope to all who for any reason have missed the happy paths of life.”

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