|
|
The
Friendship Train in Maryland
Dorothy R. Scheele
The
Friendship Train, an almost unknown entity in American history, originated
in the United States. Its purpose was to collect food from every
household in every, city, county, and state in the United States to give to
the starving people in France and Italy after World War II. The Friendship Train traveled through only
11 states, and although Maryland was not among them, the Maryland citizens donated. Drew Pearson, a well-known columnist and radio
broadcaster during mid-century 1900s, conceived the idea of the Friendship Train.
(A more complete history of the Friendship Train is available on this site.)
Maryland,
known as the Old Line State and also the Free State, joined the nation in
the drive for food for the Friendship Train. Encouraging advertisements appeared in
newspapers such as the November 11th The Daily Mail of Hagerstown, which printed an ad “Let’s all
here help fill our car for the Friendship Train. We have only two days to do it.” The
Daily Times of Salisbury ran an ad, “Food Wanted. Make your contribution count.” The article continues with a list of
acceptable imperishable items. In
Ridgely the November 21st Denton
Journal reported that Rev. J. E. Parker of the Ridgely Methodist Church
was asked by Harry M. Warner to urge his congregation to contribute, a plea
which was probably echoed around the state.
Baltimore,
Maryland’s largest city, oddly has no record of giving
to the Friendship Train. There were only
slight references in the Baltimore
Sun stating that a section of the train would pass through and there
was no stated collection point in the city.
Salisbury
and Hagerstown were the major contributors to this marvelous historical
event. Salisbury on the popular
eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay was the principal city of the Maryland-Delaware
Metropolitan Statistical Area. In
Salisbury, the American Association of University Women sponsored the drive.
Donations came from various
institutions, enterprises, and private citizens. Mrs. E. Dale Adkins, chairperson of the
European Aid Committee, reported a few of the donations: 200 pounds of flour from a local grocery store, 100 pounds of sugar from another store,
and a third contributed a case of sap. These contributions would be trucked
by the Victor Lynn Lines to Pier 42 in New York. At a meeting at the home of Mrs. Horace
Van Auken, the Business and Professional Clubs of
Salisbury promised donations.
In
Washington County, Hagerstown, approximately 180 miles west of Salisbury,
shares with that city the distinction of being a major commercial and
industrial center. As was often the
case throughout the country, local schools were prominent in the success of
the Hagerstown donations. North 6th
Street’s school gave six cases of canned food. Other schools contributing were the
Washington Street, American Street, and Surrey schools. In nearby
Williamsport, the Lions Club of Williamsport collected food from that town
and others in the vicinity. Big Pool,
a tiny town in Washington County, also donated to the Friendship Train. Some gift givers touched your heart: a two-year-old boy contributed a
can of milk; another boy gave a silver dollar he had saved; an elderly
woman asked that her donation be sent to the train. Many donations were taken directly to the
Pennsylvania freight station at the corner of Church and Washington Streets
and at the Maugansville and Williamsport
stations. N. D. Payne, a railroad
employee, said that the station was constantly busy.
On
November 13th donations poured in as the Friendship Train was to
depart for Harrisburg on the 14th.
Its cargo was eight tons of foodstuffs consisting of flour, dried
beans, cartons of canned milk, sugar, and a few hundred pounds of miscellaneous
goods. Maryland had successfully
added its name to the nation’s magnanimity.
Bibliography
“Food Drive Aided By County
Town” The Daily Mail [Hagerstown,
Maryland] Nov. 11, 1947: 1.
Friendship Train Food Gifts Are Gathered In Salisbury” The Daily Times [Salisbury,
Maryland] Nov. 17, 1947: 1.
“Sections Of Food Train Passes Through City” The Baltimore Sun Nov. 27, 1947: 12.
“Land Urges Support Of Friendship Train” The Daily Times [Salisbury,
Maryland] Nov. 7, 147: 4.
“Friendship Train Donations Pour In” The Daily Mail {Hagerstown, MD] Nov.
13, 1947: 1.
“Food Drive Aided By County Town” The Daily Mail [Hagerstown, Maryland] Nov. 13, 1947: 13.
“Community’s Car For Friendship Train Is Rapidly Filling
Today: The Daily Mail [Hagerstown,
Maryland] Nov. 14, 1947: 1.
|
|
|
