Ridgefield Remembers WWIThe “War to End All Wars” began with the assas-sination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria on June 28, 1914. This single event sparked a conflict of unparalleled scope and brutality that killed tens of millions of people, both civilian and military. It finally ended on November 11, 1918.

The United States didn’t officially join the Allied cause until April 1917, but Connecticut residents were keenly aware of the conflict; in many cases, it affected countries from which they or their relatives had emigrated. Most Connecticut residents were involved somehow, fighting or helping those who fought. The state was known as the “Arsenal of the Nation,” producing more than a third of the Allied Forces’ small arms munitions.

The World War I Town Committee is hosting a full calendar of special events and programs, most of them free. Please check each hosting organiza-tion’s website to confirm times and admission.

Digitization Day | June 10, 1-4pm

Your family members’ experiences of World War I are history. To help you capture that history, Ridge-field is hosting a free Digitization Day sponsored by Connecticut State Library.

On Sunday, June 10, 2018, a team of trained ar-chivists and oral historians will be at Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center to hear your stories and capture images of your WWI-related objects and documents, which will then be entered in the Connecticut Digital Archive (CTDA). This online system, a collaborative effort by Archives & Special Collections at the University of Connecticut Librar-ies and the Connecticut State Library, preserves for future generations the digital resources created by Connecticut museums, libraries, and other cultural heritage organizations.

Act now! Dig out that box of family memorabilia. Invite your relative to come to Digitization Day to repeat a grandparent’s or family friend’s WWI stories. For Digitization Day FAQs, including dates of sessions in other towns, visit: http://ctinworldwar1.org/digitization-days/

Event Partner – Ridgefield Historical Society 1918 - 2018

WWI Town Committee:

American Legion (amlegionpost78.org)Drum Hill Chapter, D.A.R. (drumhilldar.org)Graveyard Restoration Committee (ridgefieldct.org/graveyard-restoration-committee)Kay Ables, Town Historian Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center (KTMHC; keelertavernmuseum.org)Lounsbury House (lounsburyhouse.org)Marine Corps League (ridgefieldmcl.com)Ridgefield Conservatory of Dance (ridgefielddance.org)Ridgefield Historical Society (RHS; ridgefieldhistoricalsociety.org)The Ridgefield Library (ridgefieldlibrary.org)The Ridgefield Playhouse (ridgefieldplayhouse.org)

Ridgefield children hold flags of Allied forces in 1918 photo (KTMHC archives).

Sample items for digitization: Excerpt from a 1938 resume, in which Lawrence Phillips, grandfather of a current Ridgefield resident, summarized his military service; bugler Phillip Leary of Ridgefield’s Home Guard (KTM&HC archives).

World War I observance in Ridgefield, date unknown (KTM&HC archives)

April 15, 3pm Keeler Tavern MuseumLecture by John Cilio – The Lafayette Escadrille

May 1 - August 15 Town HallWWI Exhibit by Ridgefield Historical Society

May 5, 3pm Keeler Tavern MuseumLecture and Memoir Writing Workshop by Drew Lamm

May 6, 1-3pm Ridgefield LibraryLecture – Genealogy: U.S. Military Records by Toni McKeen

May 28 Main StreetMemorial Day Parade – Ridgefield Remembers WWI

June 3, 2pm Ridgefield LibraryLecture – Connecticut’s Participation in WWI by Christine Pittsley, Connecticut State Library

June 10, 1-4pm Keeler Tavern MuseumWWI Document Digitization Day(see inside flap)

June 14, 7pm Ballard ParkFlag Day Ceremony – American Legion Battle of Belleau Wood presentationFlag Retirement Ceremony – Marine Corps League

June 17, 12-4 Keeler Tavern MuseumWWI Family Day• Reenactors• Restored Ambulance • Trenches in the Barn• Propaganda Posters in the Barn• Animals of WWI• NEW Museum Exhibition: The Gilbert Story• “Ridgefield Answers the Call” Storyboards• Julia Gilbert’s Doughboy Send-Offs in the Garden House• Dance Solo “Spirit of the Incense”• Kids Activities & Games: J Plant a Victory Garden J Type a Letter to a Veteran J Beaux Arts Calligraphy J Draw your Family Tree J Lawn Croquet• Music on the Terrace• American Legion Info Booth• Food Trucks

Underwritten by Ridgefield Thrift Shop.

June 24, 3pm Keeler Tavern Museum Lecture and Music of WWI by Jane Sine

July 1-31 Ridgefield LibraryWWI: Ridgefield Answers the Call exhibitby Ridgefield Historical Society

July 7, 1-3pm Ridgefield LibraryWWI: Ridgefield Answers the Call exhibit Opening Reception hosted by Ridgefield Historical Society

September 13, 3pm Founders HallFounders Hall Book Club

September 26, 10am Ridgefield LibraryAM Book Group

September 30, 1-4pm Maple Shade CemeteryWWI Doughboys at Rest Cemetery Tour

October 2, 7pm Ridgefield LibraryNonfictioneers Book Group – Lenin on the Train

October 16, 7pm Ridgefield LibraryCritic’s Circle Book Group – Stella Bain

November 6, 4pm Ridgefield PlayhouseSargent Stubby: An American Hero

November 8, 7pm Ridgefield LibraryLecture – British Soldier Poets of WWI by Dr. Mark Schenker

November 11, 3pm Ridgefield LibraryConcert – Greatest Music of the Great War

November 11, 11am Lounsbury HouseVeterans Day Ceremony – American Legion

Julia Finch Gilbert, portrayed here by Keeler Tavern Museum and History Center school program docent Judi Pankenier, was known for hosting parties in the family’s Garden House for departing “doughboys” and their families.

Please check each hosting organization’s website to confirm dates and times and visit the WWI page at Ridgefieldlibrary.org for more information about the series.