Looking Back Photo

This German Day parade took place in Staunton in 1908 and shows the north side of Main Street. Much of Staunton's population was German in those days and there was great pride in what the German culture had contributed to the community. In 1917, with the advent of World War I, there was an overall suspicion of Germans. The city of Staunton took part in loyalty demonstrations where people of German descent were forced by mobs to show loyalty by kissing the American flag. This photo is the property of William Jacob Bechem.

See Tom Emery's story below for information on Germans in Illinois.