Yesteryear: President Taft Visits Evansville

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President Taft Visits Evansville

Evansville became an even busier hub of activity after April 6, 1917, when the United States formally entered the war in Europe a few days after President Wilson urged Congress to take action against Germany.

As local men departed for Europe, women rose to the occasion by supporting such organizations as the Red Cross. While some volunteers rolled bandages or sewed clothing for soldiers in a building downtown, others worked at the Red Cross Canteen on Fulton Avenue (pictured here), which was located across from the L & N station. 

 

The tall man in the center of the image is former President William Howard Taft, one of several celebrities who visited the city to rally support for the war; at the far right is Mayor Benjamin Bosse.