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History of the National American Red Cross:
http://www.redcross.org/museum/history/brief.asp
History of the Union County Chapter of the American Red Cross:
1910s
1916: Even before a local chapter was formed, the people of Union County found a way to help the war effort by making a Memorial Quilt, produced in 1916 by Miss Louise Morrow and several other ladies. The ladies sold the quilt squares for $1.00 a square and anyone wishing to have their name written on the quilt could buy a spot for 25 cents and have it beautifully autographed in black India ink by Miss Morrow herself. Four names were allowed to each square, approximately 4inch x 4 inch and were inscribed around each side.
The money made was donated to the National American Red Cross, about $150 in all, and the quilt bore the symbol of the Red Cross in the center with smaller red crosses on a white background within each square. Around the larger cross are several areas designated for memorial contributions which sold for $25.00 a square. The only square which bears a memorial inscription is to the late W.H. Fitzgerald, 1840-1899 and Ellen Fitzgerald, 1841-1916. The quilt sports some 600 names of Monroe families
We are not sure how the name of famous orator and unsuccessful presidential candidate, William Jennings Bryan got on the memorial quilt; however we do know Mr. Bryan visited Monroe in the early 1920’s.
On July 7, 1917 our Chapter of the American Red Cross was chartered as the Monroe Chapter with jurisdiction over Union County. At this time, chapters grew all over the country from 107 in 1914 to 3,864 by 1918. The first officers of the Monroe Chapter were:
- Rev. H.E. Gurney, chairman and Pastor of the Presbyterian Church:
- Mrs. J. Frank Laney, vice chairman and President of the Monroe Women’s Club:
· Dr. F. W. Laney, treasurer and local physician,
· Lottie Mae Blair, secretary, and graduate of Agnes Scott College.
Other founding members of the Board included:
- T. P. Dillon, merchant and Lay Reader for Episcopal Church
- W. B. Love, Lawyer and superintendent of Methodist Sunday School
- Mrs. D. B. Snyder, Pres of Women’s Missionary Committee of Baptist Church
- Mrs. R. F. Beasley, wife of Editor of Monroe Journal
There is little recorded history of the chapter’s activities during WWI, however, it is known that the chapter operated a canteen at the Seaboard Railroad train depot for soldiers stopping on trains in Monroe. It was the beginning of summer when a group of ladies got together and formed the Monroe Canteen. The leaders were Mrs. A.L. Monroe, Mrs. Randolph Redfern, Mrs. George Lee, Sr. and Miss Louise Morrow. The women served goodies to the doughboys passing through and offered them compassion and comfort.
1920s
1921: After WWI, the major interest of the chapter was in public health work as a peace time project and addressing the needs caused by the Great Depression. In 1921, John Barton Payne, Secretary of the Interior under President Wilson, was appointed the Chairman of the American Red Cross. He voiced his opinion loudly that Red Cross paid and volunteer staff should march along as a “Single Army:”
“There is a popular feeling that people working for the Red Cross should be volunteers. I, as you know, am a volunteer; I not only work for nothing but pay my own expenses everywhere. But the work of the Red Cross can not be done entirely by volunteers.”
During this time other American Red Cross programs formed, including the very popular Learn to Swim campaign under Commodore Wilbert E. Longfellow. Longfellow was famous for saying, "Entertain them hugely while educating them gently!" Credited for starting the Red Cross swim and lifesaving programs in the early 1900's, Longfellow helped drastically reduce the number of drownings in the United States.
1922: At the Monroe chapter, in 1922 Katherine Farmer, a Monroe Red Cross nurse was employed and worked with tuberculosis patients. Tonsil and adenoid cased, inspected school children, secured aid for crippled children from the Monroe Rotary Club and taught classes in hygiene and care for the sick. During the influenza epidemic, Red Cross canteen workers, systematically and faithfully worked through the epidemic nursing, preparing food, and delivering it to those who needed it.
It was at this time that the chapter formed the Junior Red Cross Committee with Mrs. Randolph Redfern as chairman and one of the most active chapter officers. Mrs. Redfern helped influence the County Commissioners to pay half of the salary of Nurse Farmer. It would not be long before a Junior Red Cross chapter was formed in every school in Union County. In 1921 the Jr. Red Cross members sent 350 Christmas boxes to children in foreign countries and for the Union County Children’s Home.
1926: The chapter’s First Aid and Life Saving program began in February 1926. Home Hygiene and Care of the sick, Health and Nutrition programs, Aquatics Life saving, and Emergency Highway First Aid programs began forming.
1928: The chapter misplaced its original charter and requested a new charter be issued, changing the name from the Monroe Chapter to the Union County Chapter.
October 1928: The chapter reorganized to include a Disaster Preparedness Program.
In December of 1928, the Monroe business district suffered a disastrous fire. The Charlotte Fire Department was called to assist. Red Cross Volunteer, Mr. Randolph Redfern went to the scene immediately and offered aid in the name of the American Red Cross.
1930s
Administratively, the Monroe Chapter weathered changes as they approached the 1930’s. Over the next few years, the chapter formed branch offices in Waxhaw and Marshville. In the late 30’s the chapter included service in Pageland Township, a SC community near the Union border.
Otherwise, the chapter flourished in the 1930’s and was an instrumental part of life in Union County, particularly under the leadership of Chairman J. Ray Shute.
1940s
1941: The Union Chapter of the American Red Cross received quite a bit of notoriety during this time. According to the 1941 Charlotte Observer Article: “Union County Red Cross Chapter Rated at the Top of All Chapters”. Much of this was due to the efforts of Chairman J. Ray Shute, who, by the way, “had been chairman of every worthwhile group in the county. He was Chairman of the Board of County Commissioners, the County Board of Health, the County Planning Board. He had recently retired from the chairmanship of the County Board of Education and the County Library Board……When Shute became Chairman of the Red Cross he studied the program and saw that when fully developed it took care of many needs of a county of small towns and rural communities. He set to work to develop fully every requirement of the National Red Cross. The result is American’s No. 1 organization”.
Highlights of the chapter under Chairman Shute included:
· Monroe had the only Municipal Mobile First Aid station in the United States – 6 cars, 4 trucks, 1 motorcycle, 1 motorboat, and 1 airplane. They patroled the city after the drug stores and doctor offices were closed at night and patients needing first aid received it from Red Cross volunteers and doctors.
· Chapter maintained 10 First Aid Stations – 3 in Monroe, and the others in Waxhaw, Mineral Springs, Wingate, Marshville, Roughedge, and Benton Heights. These stations were located at service stations, fire stations or country stores.
· All swimming pools in county were under the supervision of Red Cross life guards
· The Jr. Red Cross flag flew over every schoolhouse in the county and no student could graduate without an American Red Cross first aid certificate
· The Union Chapter was the only one in the nation with its own staff Physician, Dr. Parker Hardison, who trained others to teach first aid courses
· The chapter had a Production Corps that made and repaired garments for the jail, hospital, welfare departments and they sent garments overseas to war torn countries
· The chapter maintained a nutrition program that furnished school lunchrooms.
· The chapter maintained a strong Home Service Corps that helped ex-serviceman and people in need.
As the Second World War began, the doors of the American Red Cross were thrown open to many new volunteers who wanted an outlet for their frustration over Japan’s surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. The Red Cross quickly expanded its services to the armed forces, recruiting more nurses on behalf of the military, established a blood collection program, and played an active role in the support of military troops.
In 1942, Mrs. Worth Redwine became the Union County Chapter’s first paid executive secretary (the precursor to what is now the Chapter’s Executive Director).
Many chapters, including the Union Chapter, had strong Surgical Dressing Programs. In 1942, Mrs. W. A. Ingram accepted the responsibility of being surgical dressings chair for the Union Chapter. She and 4 other ladies took a 4 day training class at the Surgical Dressings School in Alexandria Va.
World War II brought an increased need for fund raising through the Chapter’s Annual Role Call. The chapter raised $60,000 in 1942 and $34,000 in 1944.
On March 7, 1942 Camp Sutton opened as a large Army Training Camp on the Eastern flank of Monroe, and the local Red Cross was instrumental in supporting the soldiers in the camp.
1943: In addition to the Gray Ladies, the Red Cross helped recruit and train Nurses Aides, with the first class of 13 women graduating in Nov 1943 after taking hours of lecture and clinical nurses training. “These are resolute, dependable women, willing and capable of helping care for the sick and standing ready to be called into service in case of epidemic or disaster, still contributing their time each week, working in the hospital. These women are all business – some housewives and some business women; yet in 10 weeks they have given 855 hours of free service.”
1944: During WWII the chapter’s activities centered on aid and comfort to those in the military. In 1944, 4,133 military cases were handled by the chapter. Services included: assistance with family problems (often due to the serviceman’s separation from his family), information concerning dependency benefits, assistance to veterans in presenting claims, furnishing reports to the military, referring people to other agency services, and in certain cases, providing relief through Red Cross funds. Comfort packages were routinely sent to Prisoners of War, and the local chapter received letters from local soldiers being held as Prisoners overseas thanking the Red Cross for their work.
The 1944 annual report of the chapter shows that 226,000 surgical dressings were made by local volunteers.
1947: The chapter changed their physical address several times during the next few years, moving to 110-A W. Jefferson Street.
1950s
1950: As WW II ended, the Union County Chapter began focusing back on needs at home. The 1950 Annual Report, under the Chairmanship of H.H. Day and the paid staff Executive Secretary, Mrs. Emsley Armfield, made the following report:
§ 325 people gave blood in Union County last year, and 376 pints of blood were distributed to patients at the Ellen Fitzgerald Hospital
§ 7,019 children in 36 schools in Monroe and Union joined the Jr. Red Cross this year. They assisted with a variety of things including making packages for needy children, distributing forest fire information, making favors for blood donors, and distributing the Annual Fund Campaign supplies
§ 189 First Aid certificates were issued, including all Monroe Firemen now being qualified First Aides. Many Boy Scouts are beginning to take classes, and the number of overall participants doubled from last year
§ A city-wide Learn to Swim week was held where 213 received swim certificates
§ 78 Home Nursing certificates were issued. The Nurse Enrollment committee was very active with Dorothy McKenzie as Chair. 15 registered nurses enrolled as Red Cross nurses.
§ Veterans, Servicemen, and their families are continuing to look to Red Cross for help in solving their personal or family problems in our Home Service program. 382 veterans were served, and 501 servicemen cases were opened
§ This year, the chapter experienced 2 small disasters. Fortunately no lives were lost. In May 1950 a tornado struck Mineral Springs affecting 6 families. There were no resources for the family whose home was completely destroyed, therefore, the Red Cross gave the necessary financial assistance to rehabilitate this family. The second disaster occurred on Sept 7, 1949
§ Disbursements 1949 -1950: $6,346.62 Receipts: $6,865.52
1952: The chapter moved to 200 E. Jefferson Street.
1954: The chapter moved to 101 Beasley Street.
1955: In the mid 1950’s the chapter’s blood collection program was suffering greatly. In 1955, Union Memorial Hospital announced to the chapter that they would be forming a hospital blood bank, and the chapter withdrew from the Red Cross Charlotte Regional Blood Program because it failed to meet 80% of its blood quota.
1957: The chapter was granted free space in the Monroe Library for its offices for one year, and free office space in the Belk House by the early 1960’s.
1960s
Mid 1960’s: The blood program was reinstated as the chapter joined the Piedmont Carolinas Red Cross Blood Program. A Red Cross blood mobile would visit the county eight times per year, and it is estimated that about 1,000 pints of blood would be needed in Union County per year. “After we join this program, there should never be an occasion when local people will have to round up donors to take them to the hospital,” said Blood Program Chairman, Mrs. James Nisbet.
In the mid to late 60’s, , the United States was once again involved in a war with Vietnam. Red Cross provided assistance to soldiers overseas, veterans returning home, and tens of thousands of Vietnamese refugees. Under the direction of Executive Secretary Evelyn Sutherland, the local chapter sponsored numerous “ditty bag” drives.
During these years, the Union County Chapter retained its independent charter, but was also part of the Charlotte Combined Service Territory. For several years, the chapter moved forward under the leadership of Chairman Jack Hargett, an Electrical Contractor and then Chairman Dan Davis, Superintendent of the County Schools. The chapter had 2 paid employees, each working half a day. The chapter was part of the local fund raising charity, Union County Combined Charities, and maintained an excellent relationship with them.
1980s
On May 5, 1989, a tornado skipped across Western and Northern Union County. Red Cross volunteers opened a shelter at Shiloh Elementary School and conducted a damage assessment the next day.
On September 22, 1989 Hurricane Hugo came inland just north of Charleston, South Carolina and proceeded across the Upstate of South Carolina into Union County. Hurricane force winds did major damage in Union County and 100 percent of all electrical service was lost. Union County Chapter volunteers opened up shelters prior to the storm hitting Union County including one at the Armory. After the passage of the storm local volunteers performed a damage assessment of the county with the assistance of Union County employees. Mass Care prepared and distributed food to all those who needed it. Feeding stations were set up at local schools and fire departments. A service center was set up on the second floor of the United Way Building to provide Red Cross assistance to disaster victims.
2000s
On January 6, 2006 the Union County chapter opened a branch office on the Western side of Union County in Stallings, NC, next to the Stallings town hall.
On May 1, 2006 the Union County Chapter officially began serving Anson County as well as Union County.
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