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Colorado
by
Dorothy
R. Scheele
The
Friendship Train, America’s magnanimous gift to Europe after World War II, is
unique in the history of the world.
The Friendship Train crossed the country in 1947 and is considered
one of the greatest humanitarian movements in history. The Friendship Train collected its gift
of food from ordinary American citizens who opened their cupboards to
contribute, and from American farmers who harvested grain from their fields. Leaving from Los Angeles on November 7, 1947,
the Friendship Train roared into New York 11 days later. Its cargo consisted of $40 million worth
of food destined for the desperate people in France and Italy. Although it traveled through only 11
states, every state contributed to it.
Every aspect of the work required for the entire journey was
gratis. No person or business
charged for their services. A more
complete history of the Friendship Train is on the homepage of this web
site.
The Centennial State’s involvement with the Friendship
Train was centered in Ft. Collins.
The Kiwanis Club in Ft. Collins became the major organizer. The Kiwanis Club in Laramie, Wyoming, had
asked the Ft. Collins Club to join in the collection of foodstuffs. Roger Dunn, president of the Ft. Collins
club agreed, and he asked Arthur I. Puckett, chairman of public relations,
to help inform the residents. In addition
to Mr. Puckett’s efforts, Charles H. Sherman, chairman of the Citizens Food
committee, also helped to spread the information about the Friendship Train. His committee delivered posters and
stickers emphasizing the need to contribute. Printed on posters and stickers was the
slogan, “save wheat, save meat, keep the peace.” A second poster slogan was directed
towards children urging them to “join the Clean Plate club” and “be a food-saver,
not a food waster.” A Kiwanis Club member
had spoken with the city school superintendent David. B. Lesher about the children’s contributions. The men agreed that they would ask each
child to contribute one can of milk or more if possible. Ft. Collins goal was one boxcar
completely filled with milk.
Several Ft.
Collins businessmen sent requests to Denver organizations for donations and
urged them to send the donations in time for shipment to Laramie. Because the Friendship Train did not
travel through the Centennial State, their donations were sent to Wyoming,
the closest stop. The Ft. Collins
Kiwanis Club also contacted towns in Laramie County: among them Loveland, Laporte, Willington, and Berthoud. The Church of God at
Delta, led by Rev Clifford R. Carns notified the
Friendship Train committee that Mr. Hertz, a member of his congregation,
had donated the fruit from 130 apricot trees. The Delta processing plant canned the
apricots.
All of the
donors were asked to write their names on their gifts as a way to
‘personalize’ them. Writing one’s name and address was a practice
throughout the nation. The notes
contained the words:
“All
races and creeds make up the vast melting pot of America, and in a democratic
and Christian spirit of good will toward men, we, the American people, have
worked together to bring this food to your doorsteps, hoping that it will
tide you over until your fields are again rich and abundant with crops.”
France
thanked the entire United States for the vital necessities the Americans
had sent to them. Their gratitude
arrived in the United States on a ship which docked in New York harbor on
February 3, 1949. On this ship, the
Magellan, were 49 boxcars of the French gifts: one for each state
and one to be shared by Washington D.C and Hawaii, which at that time was
not a state. These thank you presents were not from the French
government. In the same esprit de
corps of the Americans, the French
people, not the government, contributed the gifts. The presents were intended to be given to
the people, to public buildings, libraries, hospitals, schools, colleges
The Colorado boxcar arrived at
the Capitol in Denver on February 14, 1949. At statehouse ceremonies, Governor Knous accepted the gifts in the car which included
toys, pottery, paintings, books, and embroidered articles.
Sara Williamson, an employee of
the Woodruff Memorial Library in LaJunta,
Colorado, said in an email dated August 2010, that the library had a collection
of six dolls. Sandy Messick, Director of Library Services, believes the
collection was part of the gifts that came from France in the Colorado
boxcar of the 1949 Merci Train.
The French
boxcars, after much restoration following years of neglect, are displayed
in most states. Colorado’s boxcar,
at this time, has been lost for
many years--its fate indeterminable.
For more
information on the Merci Train, see Earl Bennett’s website www.mercitrain.org. Copies of Mr. Bennett's Book The Merci Train, A Big Thank You From
the French Merci Train is
available at ebennett89@yahoo.com.
The price is $25.00 per copy, including postage.
The author welcomes any
additional information which would add to this state's history.
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