War hits Hartford

Civilians line up outside the Hall of Records in Hartford looking to enlist in World War I.

A banner hangs across Main Street, just before Pearl Street, urging men to enlist in the Connecticut National Guard or the regular Army.

Tanks line Farmington Ave in Hartford. 

Helmet used by World War I  Connecticut soliders. 

Women in the Colt Factory producing fire arms. 

Two women work at a booth at the State Fair at the Charter Oak Fairgrounds. Food conservation posters line the walls of the booth.

Hartford Courant article about Colt manufacturing.  

World War I medals from Connecticut resident, Edward W. Johnson. 

World War I medals awarded to CT resident, Percy Eustis. 

World War I began in Europe in 1914. Quickly conflict spread to engulf the globe as two sides formed, the Allies (Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States of America) versus the Central Powers (Italy, Austria-Hungary, and Germany). The United States entered World War I in 1917 alongside the Allies in Europe. More than 4 million US soldiers were sent to fight the Great War. Connecticut alone sent nearly 200,000 soldiers of their own.  Hartford only contributed 200 initially but draft increased over time.  Hartford, as Connecticut’s capital, worked in overdrive to meet the new stress placed on the state.

Colt especially worked to supply not only Connecticut soldiers but all American soldiers. An article from a 1916 issue of the Hartford Courant, describing the government purchase of over 4,000 Vicker Machine Rifles from the Colt Company. Due to the increased demand for the Colt Vickers machine gun, Colt expanded its factory, hired more employees, and even opened up branches in other parts of Connecticut. The Vicker Machine Rifle required intense detail work to produce which made mass production for World War I even harder. Colt produced 151,700 revolvers during the war as well as 13,000 Maxim-Vickers machine guns and 10,000 Browning machine guns with an additional 100,000 under subcontract to other companies.

Once the United States entered the war, Hartford, and New Haven’s National Guard regiments were called into federal service. Shortly after the Connecticut Naval Militia reported for duty in Boston. Hartford rallied support gathering in the streets to show that Hartford had patriotic pride. Hartford became a center for war efforts. Men gathered to enlist, women worked on food conservation and others worked in the Colt factory to produce military equipment. On August 10, 1917, the U.S. Food Administration was established to manage the wartime supply, conservation, distribution and transportation of food. Posters urging citizens to reduce their personal consumption of meat, wheat, fats and sugar were plastered throughout communities to save these precious items for soldiers. As depicted above, women in Hartford worked educate locals and collect food for the troops oversea.