"Looking Back" Book Excerpt

Peace Whistle wakes Aberdonians early Nov. 11, 1918
by Sue Gates, Dacotah Prairie Museum

World War I, the Great War, began in 1914 and eventually involved 35 countries, including the United States. Soldiers from the United States fought from 1917 until the war ended in 1918 when many of the countries involved signed an armistice or truce to stop the fighting the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. After that, November 11 became known as Armistice Day.

Aberdeen, like every other American town, had hometown boys fighting on foreign soil as part of the Great War. City residents celebrated joyously when news of the armistice reached them. The Aberdeen Daily American headline on Monday, November 11, 1918, read "Armistice is Signed!" and the front page carried details of the event. Toward the bottom of the page, a small article described the activity in the newsroom as the staff awaited confirmation of the rumored truce. The following lines are taken directly from that column.

"The big news of the century was breaking-one might in truth say the big news of all history-republics were being made and empires were falling-kings and princes were fleeing for their lives.

"The American office had thrilled all night long with startling news. A dozen times came over its leased Associated Press wire items that at any other period would have been a week's sensation. But still the big news-the news for which the entire world was waiting-did not come.

"At 1:30 in the morning the Associated Press operator announced the end of his shift. 'Do you want the wire held longer?' said he. There was a moment's hesitation-the last hour's news had practically killed all hope of getting the big news. Then came the answer-'hold it for one hour more and we will hold the presses.'

"Sixteen minutes later came the flash, "Armistice signed-armistice signed."

"The news the world had been waiting for four years to hear had come. Then went out the phone message to the fire station. And the shrill call of the "peace whistle" woke up all Aberdeen.

"The announcement of the signing of the armistice was made at 2:45 Washington time or 1:45 Aberdeen time. Just 60 seconds later, or 1:46 Aberdeen time, the American's Associated Press operator on the leased wire received the flash and shouted to the telegraph editor "It's all off, she's signed."

Front-page news on November 12, 1918, included a detailed account of what happened after the "peace whistle" announced to all of Aberdeen that the war was over. Parts of the article, headed with "Aberdeen Forgot the "Flu" and Turned Out for a Real Spree!" are quoted below:

"To the din of popping revolvers and blaring tinhorns Aberdeen celebrated the greatest day in all its history yesterday with a holiday more noisy and "poppy" than any Fourth of July celebration ever was. The people of the town were given the first inkling of the news at about two in the morning by the blowing of whistles all over town, and from then until midnight, silence was an obsolete term.

"To the minds of the banking girls of the city, there wasn't enough enthusiasm being displayed over the news of the armistice which was received yesterday. So, at about eight o'clock in the morning, six of the girls of the clearing house association got permission to leave their work, and by nine 30 girls, all with flags, were giving an exhibition of real pep which quite astonished the staid old city. They went into every business establishment which they passed, and gathered new recruits as they went...

"But the girls little realized what they had started. In a few minutes the streets were lined with cars loaded to the guards with children of all ages-from five to 100-shouting, tooting tinhorns, and clanging cymbals. Soon a parade several blocks long had formed with cars and bicycles as outriders.

"The line of march in the morning was south to the Dakota Farmer building, north on Main Street past the Milwaukee tracks, back again and east to Jewett's wholesale house and on down Railroad Avenue to the end of the pavement, and then back to Main Street...

"Until late at night the crowds continued the celebration, and the girls who had begun all this dined royally at the Sherman. After the dinner an informal dance was held on the second floor of the Sherman. At midnight there were still a few cars on the streets with kids wedged on them from the radiator cap to the gasoline tank behind."

In contrast to that day of celebration, the first anniversary of the occasion passed without fanfare in Aberdeen. The city was paralyzed after a November 10 storm that dropped eight inches of snow over a layer of ice that resulted from the freezing rain of the previous day. In 1920 the celebration returned under the guidance of the American Legion which organized a program and parade. The First Baptist Church hosted a community worship service as part of the day and invited local clergy and church choirs to participate. Stores closed for the day at 1 p. m. That practice continued throughout the 1920s. One interesting addition to the program line-up in 1923 was the first polo game played in Aberdeen. A team of civilians battled a team of National Guard members. Fred Hatterscheidt and E.C. Rhodes played on the civilian team. The results of the game were not noted.

By 1926, most states, including South Dakota, declared Armistice Day a state holiday, and in 1938 Congress passed legislation making it a federal holiday. On June 1, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed legislation to change the holiday's name from Armistice Day to Veteran's Day to include America's newest veterans, those of World War II. Today, Veteran's Day celebrates all American men and women who served their country as members of the Armed Forces.