World War One Exhibit Opening Saturday

The Historical Society of Quincy and Adams County has announced the opening of the World War I exhibit "Over Here and Over There: Quincy and Adams County in WWI" this Saturday, April 22, at 2 p.m. at the History Museum at 4^th and Maine in Quincy.

The son and granddaughter of WWI hero Sgt. Alvin York will be at the museum to celebrate the opening.  George Buxton York will hold a fireside chat and will be available to meet the public.  Judge Robert Cook, Quincy, will also be giving a presentation on the local impact of the Great War.

Local WWI-related stories will be highlighted at the opening and exhibits will include a 16-foot timeline panel and an example of a WWI dugout.  An authentic Liberty Loans booth and a replica of Thomas Baldwin’s balloon will also be on display.  Other features include a storyboard describing the mystery of the U.S.S. Cyclops which was lost at sea in the Bermuda Triangle with Willis Hardyman of Quincy on-board.

Also available for public viewing will be a book listing the men who lost their lives in service to their country during the Great War.  The book is based on the Great River Genealogical Society’s research on WWI Gold Star families.  Period music will be featured during the event, and complimentary food and drink will be available.

The WWI exhibit at the History Museum is presented in conjunction with the All Wars Museum at the Illinois Veterans Home and the National World War I Centennial Commission.  It is supported by a donation from HSQAC Lifetime Member Dr. Stan Bartley and is free and open to the public.

Alvin York, U.S. Army, was one of the most decorated soldiers in WWI.  Serving on the front, York killed 17 German soldiers by sniper fire.  The German battalion surrendered to Sgt. York thinking they had been engaged by a much larger force.  York was the recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor and the French Croix de Guerre.  A film of his life starring Gary Cooper, Sergeant York, was made in 1941.  Cooper won the Academy Award for his role as Sgt. Alvin York.