Lincoln, Maine

Responses from four students in Mrs. Harris' Social Studies class can be viewed below:

Claire Gordon
"Research your topic and summarize the ‘who, what, when, and where’ in the form of a few paragraphs"

Some people might not believe that little Lincoln, Maine was involved with World War I, but we were. In fact, 168 people from Lincoln fought in the war. Out of 59 million troops from America, 168 might just be a small fraction, but our town’s people played a part in it.

We didn’t start sending troops in until 1917, because that’s the year the United States entered the war. If it would have been earlier, then maybe we would have had more people participate. The reason the United States didn’t enter so soon was because we felt it was our responsibility to stay out of it. When the United States did enter, we entered as a part of the Allies. The whole war started because of the assassination of Archduke Franz-Ferdinand in Austria. A month later, Austria declared war on Serbia, leading into World War I. This all happened in the year of 1914 and continued until 1918.

Lincoln did not unveil the familiar World War I monument until May 29th, 1927. This was after the war. It is still standing near Rite Aid. The monument is of a “dough boy”. A dough boy is a specially trained soldier who is able to fight one on one with the enemy. This is unlike most soldiers who fight in tanks or in boats. A dough boy doesn’t have a high chance of winning and surviving, unlike someone in a boat or a tank.

This war was important to the town because there were 168 people involved. The families of these men were highly affected. It was all men, so those women and children would have to step up and do extra chores and duties to get by. Businesses would lose employment and maybe have to be shut down until the war ended. It is good to recognize these people. They may not have had a choice, whether they were drafted, needed the money, or just wanted to serve their country. I’m sure for most of these men, if they could have stayed home in Lincoln, they would have.

Richard Stowell
"Create a ‘why’ or 'how question, research the answer, and create response answering the question"

How did Lincoln, Maine affect World War I and how did World War I affect Lincoln, Maine?

Lincoln affected the war because we sent out 168 troops to fight in the war. Our men fought and gave their lives for the United States. Also our men from Lincoln might of affected the outcome of the battles. When we sent out 168 people, some of those people were fathers and grandfathers and maybe mothers. They gave their lives for the people of the United States to make sure they were safe.

The war affected Lincoln, Maine, because Lincoln sent out soldiers for the war and those could have been people’s friends or family. Some of the soldiers didn’t come back and that would have a negative effect on those who knew them. There could have been memories between people that went to the war. Also, Lincoln put up a monument to keep the memory of World War I in this town. The monument is located near Rite Aid in downtown Lincoln.

Tiara Taylor
"How did WWI impact your life? Your future? Our future as a town?"

World War I took place between the years of July 29th, 1914 through November 11th, 1918. The U.S. and people from Lincoln did not fight in war until the last two years that the war took place. The United States entered the war in 1917, but 168 people from Lincoln were involved. This war affected many people from Lincoln because 168 people were sent to war, which means that families were torn apart. Also, businesses were affected because they lost lot’s of employees from having to quit to go to war.

World War I had a impact in my life because some of my family members were sent to fight and one of them returned home. This was a very upsetting time for the people in my family. Without the people from Lincoln and the United States going and fighting in the war, I probably wouldn’t be here right now. So many people have given their lives for us to be here, and it means a lot to me and I hope to everybody else.

World War I has an impact on my future because there are still people from Lincoln fighting in the wars today in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of my cousins wants to be in the army. He is going through the different things he needs to go through to be able to join, which means that he is going to be gone most of the time. I’m going to be worrying about him the whole time he is gone and risking his life for us. I’m very close to him and always go to him if I need someone to talk to. He means the world to me.

World War I has had an impact on our town because a lot of people fought in it, and a lot of people to this day are still out there risking their own lives for us to be in a safe place. Wars are going on and I have family members out there fighting and it does have an impact on our future if they do not return home safe and sound. Their children who love them a lot and miss them when they are gone out fighting are being affected. A lot of people from Lincoln have family members fighting in war and it can be very nerve wracking for the people who just hope they make it home okay and let the time go without thinking about it too much. I’m sure the soldiers and their families during World War I felt the same way.

Works Cited

"Doughboy." Doughboy. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doughboy>.

"The Great War". Web. <http://www.pbs.org>

"Lincoln, Maine". Web. <http://www.lincolnmaine.org>.

Willis/Fellows, Dana. History of the Town of Lincoln. Lewiston: Dingley, Inc. 1822-1928. Print.

"World War I." World War I. Web. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_I>.