{"id":11852,"date":"2015-11-10T12:22:25","date_gmt":"2015-11-10T17:22:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=11852"},"modified":"2021-04-21T11:23:23","modified_gmt":"2021-04-21T15:23:23","slug":"wwii-victory-gardens-family-history-war-food-rations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/wwii-victory-gardens-family-history-war-food-rations.html","title":{"rendered":"WWII Victory Gardens: Family History & War Food Rations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: Gena Philibert-Ortega is a genealogist and author of the book \u201cFrom the Family Kitchen.<\/span>\u201d In this blog article, Gena searches old newspapers to learn more about an effort on the American home front during World War II to support the country and the troops: the planting of \u201cVictory Gardens.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

What was your family doing during World War II? Often we remember the brave American soldiers who went \u201cover there\u201d and fought for freedom, but forget that those left behind on the home front were an integral part of the war effort. Families in the United States did their part by buying\u00a0WWII war bonds, recycling metals, and participating in the rationing of food and other materials.<\/p>\n

In order to supplement the rationed food they could purchase during WWII, families cultivated Victory Gardens that supplied them with\u00a0fresh homegrown produce \u2013 both in the short term as well over time as they learned to preserve their harvest. This increased food production also freed up more canned food for sending to the soldiers overseas.<\/p>\n

\"illustration:<\/a>
Illustration: WWII Victory Garden poster. Credit: Morley; U.S. Agriculture Department; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

It might seem that learning more about your ancestors\u2019 WWII Victory Garden would be near to impossible. After all, unless you have a diary, photos, or an interview with a family member, how would you learn more?<\/p>\n

[search_box]<\/p>\n

The answer: a collection of online newspapers, such as GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>, is a great go-to place to uncover the lives of everyday people. World War II-era newspapers don\u2019t disappoint, with articles and mentions of men, women, and children living during the war. A search for your ancestors or browsing their hometown newspaper can provide many interesting Victory Garden finds.<\/p>\n

Victory Garden Poems & Essays<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many gardeners waxed poetic about the Victory Gardens they were growing or were planning. Adults and children alike submitted their garden poetry to newspapers. Many of these were titled, not surprisingly, \u201cMy Victory Garden.\u201d Poetry contests at this time were full of patriotic, instructive poems encouraging everyone to do their duty.<\/p>\n

In this example found on the \u201cJunior\u201d page of the Daily Illinois State Journal<\/em>, 14-year-old Alice Mae Jackson of Carlinville encourages other teens to grow a garden during the summer:<\/p>\n

Why don\u2019t you garden a little instead of play
\nAnd help to pass your spare time away?
\nAlso, you\u2019ll find, some of these days
\nYour Victory garden really pays<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"WWII<\/a>
Daily Illinois State Journal (Springfield, Illinois), 5 September 1943, page 20<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Young people didn\u2019t just write poems about Victory Gardens; they also entered contests describing the gardens they planned on planting. In this winning entry from the Jordan Marsh Victory Garden Contest, Eva Solimine of Belmont, Massachusetts, won $5 for her entry that stresses the importance of these wartime gardens. She writes:<\/p>\n

We all have a job to do, and it is everybody\u2019s job [planting a garden]. Our men are fighting on the battlefronts, and also men and women are working in defense plants making ships, tanks and other weapons to win this war. We at home also have a job to do, and that is by buying War Saving Stamps and Bonds and by planting Victory Gardens this summer and every other summer until this war is won.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Her essay points out the shortage of food during World War II and how homegrown gardens allow more food to be sent to soldiers.<\/p>\n

\"essay<\/a>
Boston Herald (Boston, Massachusetts), 23 May 1943, page 96<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Victory Garden Seed Advertisements<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no doubt that Victory Gardens were a great marketing tool for nurseries and seed suppliers. Just like other\u00a0newspaper advertisements we\u2019ve discussed in previous articles (see links at the end of this article), they sometimes used real people to provide endorsements \u2013 complete with a photo and home address. This advertisement from Germain\u2019s Seeds is just one of many that can be found with a community member\u2019s photo. In this ad featuring Mrs. Dorothy Hoelsken from Oakland, California, she testifies that:<\/p>\n

I have planted Germain\u2019s Seeds exclusively the last two years, and my Victory Garden has been the talk of the neighborhood.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"ad<\/a>
Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California), 24 February 1945, page 10<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Further genealogical research shows that Mrs. Hoelsken lived in the Bay Area of California for a number of years, up to her death in 2000. The advertisement\u2019s mention of Mrs. Hoelsken\u2019s residence allows a researcher to continue searching for her in records such as city directories.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Hoelsken wasn\u2019t the only person featured in ads for Germain\u2019s Seeds. Mrs. Mary Hammons of Merced, California, is quoted and pictured in another ad along with the tag line \u201cSeeds for Gardens at War.\u201d This is a good example of how our ancestors and their image can appear in just about any part of the newspaper.<\/p>\n

\"ad<\/a>
Riverside Daily Press (Riverside, California), 24 March 1944, page 7<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Victory Garden Letters<\/strong><\/p>\n

Newspapers provide various opportunities to express an opinion, tell a story or ask a question. One of these opportunities is to write a letter either to the editor or to an advice column. During the war we find people asking questions about gardening and sharing experiences. In this, somewhat funny example sent to the editor of the Sacramento Bee<\/em> in July 1943, the writer may have seen ants as a valuable help and less of a hindrance in his Victory Garden.<\/p>\n

\"letter<\/a>
Sacramento Bee (Sacramento, California), 30 July 1943, page 22<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A cutworm is actually a caterpillar who feeds at night, attacking the stem of a plant by \u201ccutting\u201d it down.<\/p>\n

Some newspaper columnists used readers\u2019 comments in their columns, as in this Illinois example from \u201cUncle Ray\u201d where reader Mr. J. A. Ibbotson remarks on his experience with the English berry bushes in his Victory Garden.<\/p>\n

\"letters<\/a>
Daily Illinois State Journal (Springfield, Illinois), 1 July 1944, page 7<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

And of course there were newspaper columnists who answered questions about Victory Gardens, as in this 1943 example from Springfield, Massachusetts. This type of old newspaper column is a good example of being creative with searching on your ancestor\u2019s name. Rarely in these types of historical articles do you see the entire name of those who provided the questions. Often they are simply identified by initials, or a first name and initials.<\/p>\n

\"letters<\/a>
Springfield Republican (Springfield, Massachusetts), 7 December 1943, page 6<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Did your family grow a Victory Garden during World War II? There\u2019s a good chance they did \u2013 and that effort may be found in articles from their hometown newspaper. Dig into GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a> and see if you can find their stories.<\/p>\n

Related Articles:<\/strong><\/p>\n