Victory!

When the war was over, Knox College and Galesburg rejoiced, celebrating the armistice with a Victory Day parade. Soldiers' returns were rejoiced over also, as the town endeavored to suitably honor returning veterans. 

The Knox Alumnus published in December of 1918, shortly after the war's conclusion, notes that "Knox oversubscribed its quota in the United War Work drive by raising $4,000. The allotment was $3,500, or $7 for every student."

Soldiers, nurses, and civilians alike recorded their impressions of the armistice, including Lieut. Jesse Allen Crafton. Crafton wrote in a letter published in the December, 1918 edition of The Knox Alumnus, that "It is done at last. It doesn't seem much different, there was but little thrill connected with it, and as yet we are not able to fully realize that the world is at peace, while yesterday it was at war." 

John M. Baker and Ray Lee Sauter, both serving in the army, wrote about their feelings after the armistice, as did Georgia Finley, a dietitian serving in France. These three letters are included further in this exhibit.