Summary Information
Winnebago County (Wis.). Soldiers Relief Commission: Applications for Relief
1897-1920
- Winnebago County (Wis.). Soldiers Relief Commission
Winnebago Series 114
0.4 c.f. (2 archives boxes)
UW-Oshkosh Polk Library / Oshkosh Area Research Ctr. (Map)
Applications to the Commission for financial aid. The majority of the applications are from Civil War veterans and their dependents. Applications typically include the name, age, and resident of the applicant; time of arrival in Winnebago County; relationship to the veteran; name, rank, company, and regiment of the soldier; date of enlistment and discharge; rate of pension per month and total family income; occupation and earnings; value of property and belongings; date of marriage and age of wife; names, ages, and earnings of children living at home; names, occupations, and earnings of other family members; and reasons for application.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-winn0114 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
Wisconsin Laws of 1887, Chapter 304, required the establishment of a soldiers' relief commission in each county. The commission was charged with administering the soldier's relief fund in its county, and granting relief to those applying, within its discretion. An annual tax on property, levied by the county board of supervisors, financed the fund.
The commission was composed of three members appointed by the county judge. For the majority of its existence, the law stipulated that the appointees must be honorably discharged veterans who had performed military service for the United States in time of war. The commission's function was to determine which applicants received relief and the amount to be granted to each.
The 1887 law specified that the soldiers' relief fund in each county was to be used for the benefit of indigent Union soldiers, sailors, and marines who had served in the Civil War and the indigent wives, widows, and minor children of indigent or deceased veterans. In 1891, eligibility was extended to the parents of veterans who had died without leaving widows or children. A 1903 law opened eligibility to anyone who had served as a Union army nurse for 90 days during the Civil War and been a Wisconsin resident for one year. In 1911 the law was clarified to make the funds available to all indigent veterans who rendered military or naval service to the United States in time of war, their indigent wives, widows, and minor children, and the indigent parents of eligible veterans who had died without leaving widows or children.
The process of securing relief began at the local level. Eligible persons applied to a designated chairman of each local government unit (for example, in cities, the ward supervisor) who made an annual report to the county board of supervisors listing the names of applicants. The commission reviewed the list and determined which applicants received relief and the amount to be granted.
Scope and Content Note
The majority of these applications for financial aid are from Civil War veterans and/or their dependents. Applications typically include the following information:
- Name, age, and residence of applicant
- Time of arrival in Winnebago County
- Relationship to veteran
- Name, rank, company, and regiment of soldier
- Date of enlistment/discharge of soldier
- Rate of pension per month and total family income
- Occupation/earnings
- Value of property/belongings
- Date of marriage and age of wife
- Names, ages, and earnings of children living at home
- Names, occupations, and earnings of other family members
- Reasons for Application
Applications are roughly chronological within each volume and each volume includes an alphabetical index to applications in that volume. The original volumes have been dismantled and placed into folders.
Contents List
|
Box
1
Volume
1
|
1897 January - 1917 June
|
|
|
Box
1
Volume
2
|
1901 July - 1915 October
|
|
|
Box
2
Volume
3
|
1906 July - 1920 June
|
|
|
Box
2
Volume
4
|
1911 October - 1918 November
|
|
|
