Title: William B. Cairns Victory Post 57 Records
Inclusive Dates: 1918-1983

Creator:

• William B. Cairns Victory Post 57

Call Number: WVM Mss 15

Quantity: Records: 11.6 linear ft. (6 archives boxes, 27 card boxes, and 1 oversized folder) and photographs: 0.7 linear ft. (3 archives boxes and 3 oversized folders)

Repository:

Wisconsin Veterans Museum
Have questions? Contact the Reference Archivist

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Veterans Museum (Map)

See the catalog entry for current shelf locations and additions.

Abstract:

Records and photographs of the William B. Cairns Victory Post 57 of the American Legion (Madison, Wis.); the Dane County Voiture No. 683 of La Societe des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux (40/8); the Southern Wisconsin Red Arrow Club; and the Ray S. Owen First World War Photograph Collection. The Cairns Victory Post 57 series includes information about post activities such as Badger Boys State, the Boy Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps, Memorial Day observances, state and national American Legion conventions, and the results of a 1930 community survey conducted by the American Legion on topics such as health, education, and government. Also includes several versions of the post constitution and by-laws, financial records, extensive executive committee minutes, veterans' organization-related news clippings, post history essays and timelines, and correspondence covering post activities and membership issues. Membership record cards for the post are substantially complete from 1922-1967, with the exception of 1942. Two sets of post continuous membership cards from the 1950s and 1960s are also part of the collection, which provide membership history for individuals. The Dane County Voiture No. 683 series documents post activities including extensive coverage of the post-sponsored 1958 and 1959 Wisconsin Sports & Home Shows. Other records include correspondence, financial records, meeting minutes, and membership lists and reports. The Southern Wisconsin Red Arrow Club is the smallest series in the collection and includes the records of charity bingo events from the early 1980s. The Photographs series includes images documenting the activities of the Cairns Victory Post 57 and Dane County Voiture No. 683 including Memorial Day parades, meetings and events, 40/8 members in their 'fun' costumes, and scenes from the 1959 Wisconsin Sports & Home Show. The majority of the Photographs series consists of a collection of over 400 official military photographs taken in Europe during and just after the First World War. This collection of photographs, donated by First World War veteran and Post 57 member Ray S. Owen, includes extensive aerial and battlefield views as well as images of First World War armaments.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.wvm-mss00015

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The idea for the American Legion began with Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., who was an officer in the American Expeditionary Force (AEF). He was concerned about what would happen to the soldiers once they went home after the fighting was over. It was envisioned that the Legion would take in all members of the armed forces, irregardless of branch, rank, race, or sex, and irregardless of whether or not they saw combat. It was also hoped that the Legion would remain non-political. Throughout 1919 the Legion gathered members and publicized itself.

Veterans in Wisconsin began to organize Legion posts very early, and Post 57 was one of the earliest. Organizational meetings were held in the Adjutant General's Office in the State Capitol in the summer of 1919, and on September 12, 1919, the William B. Cairns Post 57 of the American Legion was organized by charter, named after the first Madison soldier killed during the First World War. In September 1951 the predominantly First World War-era Post 57 merged with the predominantly World War II-era Victory Post 438 to form the William B. Cairns Victory Post 57 of the American Legion.

La Societe des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux (40/8), which roughly translated means the Society of the 40 Men and 8 Horses, got its start in 1922 as an honorary society within the American Legion. The name refers to the capacity stenciled on the French box cars used to transport American troops in the First World War: 40 men or 8 horses. It is a small, by-invitation-only honorary society dedicated to fun, fellowship, and charitable works. The terminology, costumes, and hijinks of the 40/8 revolve around French and railroad themes. Among the most notable members of the 40/8 was Former President Harry S. Truman.

The records of the William B. Cairns Victory Post 57, American Legion are divided into four series, William B. Cairns Victory Post 57, American Legion; Dane County Voiture No. 683, La Societe des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux; Southern Wisconsin Red Arrow Club; and Photographs.

William B. Cairns Victory Post 57, American Legion (1922-1983) is the largest series in the collection and documents Post 57 from its earliest days, however the bulk of the material dates from the 1930s-1960s. Documentation of the post includes several versions of the constitution and by-laws, financial records, minutes and reports of the post executive committee, and a nearly complete set of post membership record cards from 1922-1967. Two sets of continuous membership cards date from the 1950s and 1960s, which provide a history of American Legion membership for each post member. Some of the cards also include background information on post members and attached newspaper clippings. Post and post-sponsored activities covered in the collection include Badger Boys State applications and correspondence from 1955-1961; the results of a 1930 community survey on health, education, and government topics conducted by the Legion in both Madison and Wisconsin; post newsletters from 1949-1971 containing activity and member notes, although the bulk of these are from the 1960s; and Memorial Day observances. Also included are some materials on the history of the post and news clippings documenting the Legion and other veterans' organizations.

Dane County Voiture No. 683, La Societe des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux (1936-1962) is comprised of correspondence, financial records, minutes and reports, and other materials documenting the activities of the Dane County voiture or post of the 40/8. The bulk of the series is from the 1940s and 1950s. Extensive coverage is given to the 1958 and 1959 Wisconsin Sports & Home Shows, which the post sponsored and publicized as a fund-raising venture. A significant amount of post correspondence with members, other posts, and the national 40/8 organization is also included. Membership issues such as nominations and dues are also covered. Financial records of the post include a ledger, Federal tax returns, and some bank records from the 1930s and 1940s.

Southern Wisconsin Red Arrow Club (1979-1983) is the smallest and least interesting series in the collection. The Southern Wisconsin Red Arrow Club was apparently a fund raising organization within Post 57 that sponsored bingo events. The series consists of 'bingo occasion reports' made to the Wisconsin Bingo Control Board, records of receipts from bingo events, and a small number of bills and invoices.

Photographs (1918-1983) consists of three sub-series: the Cairns Victory Post 57, the Dane County Voiture No. 683, and the Ray S. Owen First World War photograph collection. The Post 57 photographs include images of post-sponsored activities such as baseball teams, Badger Boys State, and Boy Scout groups; poppy drives; post meetings and events; Memorial Day parades; and portraits of Post 57 and Legion members. The Voiture No. 683 photographs include a number of images of 40/8 members during initiations and meetings that they call 'wrecks', public performances, and other 'fun' activities; images of the post 'engine' and 'box car' used in parades and other public events; promotional and publicity photographs; and photographs taken at the Wisconsin Sports & Home Show featuring images of performers, vendors, beauty queen contestants, and attendees.

The highlight of the Cairns Victory Post 57 Collection is the Ray S. Owen First World War Photograph Collection. Owen was an American Expeditionary Force (AEF) veteran who served as an officer with G2 (Intelligence) at AEF Headquarters, and who, after the war, was an engineering professor at the University of Wisconsin and a member of Post 57. This is a superb group of more than 400 official military photographs features images taken on the Western Front during the waning days of the First World War and in the months just after the Armistice. Virtually all of the photographs have an identification number and title, which had been written on the photographic negative. A number of the photographs are in fair to poor condition.

The First World War collection is comprised of five sub-fields, Aerial Views, Battlefield Views, Cemeteries, Cities & Towns, and War Materiel. The Aerial Views sub-series includes images of cities and towns, primarily in France, general landscape views, and a few images of military installations. Some of the photographs have military features and other landmarks are noted in ink. The Battlefield Views sub-series includes images of a variety of buildings, mostly damaged or destroyed; views of the front lines, including sites of AEF unit positions and engagements, 'no man's land,' trenches, and a few images of human and animal remains; images of battlefield infrastructure such as bridges, railroads, and roads; photographs of military installations including a wide variety of homes and other buildings used as AEF facilities, a large number of dugouts and pillboxes (mostly German), artillery and machine gun emplacements (mostly destroyed), and several views of observations posts, including a forward observation post built to look like a tree; and some views of other battlefield landmarks and landscapes. Cemeteries is comprised of 10 views of Allied and German cemeteries and grave markers. Cities & Towns includes views of a variety of cities and towns, most of which are in France. Although there is war damage shown in virtually every photographs they have been divided into photographs showing damaged and destroyed cities and towns and those showing relatively intact communities. The cities and towns depicted are named on the photographs. The final sub-series is War Materiel. Featured are a variety of photographs of aircraft, including one clearly showing a plane and camera used for aerial reconnaissance; views of German artillery, including large 'Big Bertha' artillery pieces; a few photographs of artillery shells and small arms, including an image of an anti-aircraft gun; and several views of tanks and trucks, both damaged and intact.

Acquisition Information

Presented by William B. Cairns Victory Post 57, American Legion, 1993. The collection was previously known as VAIL 1993.41 and Record Group 15.

Processing Information

Originally processed by Mark Van Ells in 1996, processed with additions by Jonathan Nelson in 2002.

	Series: William B. Cairns Victory Post 57, American Legion
	Subseries: Activities
Box   1 Folder   1-7	Badger Boys State, 1955-1961
Box   1 Folder   8	Bingo, 1978-1983
Box   1 Folder   9	Boy Scout Drum & Bugle Corps, 1947-1972
	Community surveys
	Madison
Box   1 Folder   10	Committee reports, 1930
Box   1 Folder   11	General, 1930
	Wisconsin
Box   1 Folder   12	Committee reports, 1930
Box   2 Folder   1	Committee reports, 1930
Box   2 Folder   2	General, 1934-1982
Box   2 Folder   3	Memorial Day, 1947-1962
Box   2 Folder   4	National convention, 1959
Box   2 Folder   5	Newsletter, 1949-1971
Box   2	2 6 “Records for Our Fighting Men” program, 1943
Box   2 Folder   7	State convention, 1954-1967
	Subseries: Constitution and by-laws	⇧
Box   2 Folder   8	Post 57, 1949-1963
Box   2 Folder   9	Wisconsin Department, 1971
	Subseries: Correspondence	⇧
Box   2 Folder   10	General, 1934-1981
Box   2 Folder   11	Membership, 1951-1968
Box   2 Folder   12	Publications and mailing, 1952-1968
Box   2 Folder   13	Ephemera, undated
PhOv   16 Folder   1	White Fleet folk art painting, circa 1959
	Subseries: Executive Committee	⇧
	Financial records
Box   2 Folder   14	Federal income tax returns, 1963-1974
Box   2 Folder   15	General, 1948-1979
Box   3 Folder   1	Minutes and reports, 1970-1975
Box   3 Folder   2-13	Minutes and reports, 1947-1977
	Subseries: Membership	⇧
	Continuous membership
Box   4 Folder   1	Correspondence, 1935-1968
Box   31-32	Record cards 1950s, circa
Box   33	Record cards 1960s, circa
Box   4 Folder   2	Record cards, loose material, 1931-1966, undated
	Membership records
Box   4 Folder   3	Deceased members, 1955-1968
Box   4 Folder   4	Lists, 1959-1968
Box   4 Folder   5	Membership drive, 1954
Box   4 Folder   6	New members, 1950-1967
	Record cards
Box   7	1922-1924
Box   8	1924-1926
Box   9	1927-1929
Box   10	1929-1931
Box   11	1931-1933
Box   12	1934-1935
Box   13	1936-1937
Box   14	1938-1939
Box   15	1939-1941
Box   16	1941-1944
Box   17	1944-1945
Box   18	1945-1946
Box   19	1946-1947
Box   20	1947-1949
Box   21	1949-1950
Box   22	1951-1952
Box   23	1952-1953
Box   24	1953-1955
Box   25	1955-1957
Box   28-30	1955-1961
Box   26	1957-1964
Box   27	1964-1967
Box   4 Folder   7-9	News clippings, 1933-1953
	Post history
Box   4 Folder   10	Historical essays, 1958, undated
Box   4 Folder   11	Past commanders list, 1969
	Series: Dane County Voiture No. 683, La Societe des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux	⇧
	Subseries: Activities and events
Box   4 Folder   12	Bowling tournament, 1962
Box   4 Folder   13	Camp Legion, 1947
Box   4 Folder   14	General, 1947-1962
Box   4 Folder   15	Publicity, 1959, undated
Box   5 Folder   1	Wisconsin Sports & Home Show, 1958
Box   5 Folder   2	Publicity, 1958
Box   5 Folder   3	Wisconsin Sports & Home Show, 1959
Box   5 Folder   4	Publicity, 1959
	Subseries: Correspondence	⇧
Box   5 Folder   5-10	General, 1942-1962, undated
Box   5 Folder   11	Thank you and sympathy cards, 1944-1962
	Subseries: Financial records	⇧
Box   5 Folder   12	Bank books, 1937-1948
Box   5 Folder   13	Check stubs, 1937-1948
Box   5 Folder   14	Federal income tax returns, 1943-1944
Box   5 Folder   15	General, 1939-1949, undated
Box   5 Folder   16	Insurance, 1942-1949
Box   5 Folder   17	Ledger, 1937-1949
Box   6 Folder   1	History, 1947, undated
	Subseries: Membership	⇧
Box   6 Folder   2	Dues, 1945-1949
Box   6 Folder   3	Lists, 1944-1949
Box   6 Folder   4	Nominations, 1944-1948
Box   6 Folder   5	Reports, 1943-1949
Box   6 Folder   6	Waivers, 1947-1948
Box   6 Folder   7	Minutes & reports, 1936-1949
	Series: Southern Wisconsin Red Arrow Club	⇧
	Subseries: Bingo
Box   6 Folder   8	Bingo Control Board, 1981-1983
Box   6 Folder   9-11	Occasion reports, 1980-1983
Ov   2 Folder   6	Receipts, 1979-1982
Box   6 Folder   12	Receipts, 1980-1981
Box   6 Folder   13	Financial records, 1980-1982
	Series: Photographs	⇧
	Subseries: William B. Cairns Victory Post 57, American Legion
Box   34 Folder   1-2	Activities [10] , 1947-circa 1955, undated
Color Ph   6 Folder   26	Color photograph [1] , 1992
	Donated photographs
PhOv   1 Folder   3	Camp Beauregard, LA, 1941
PhOv   2 Folder   3	Cenotaph, Armistice Day, 1921
Box   34 Folder   3-4	Groups [16] , 1946, undated
Box   34 Folder   5	Meetings [3] , undated
Box   34 Folder   6-7	Parades, Memorial Day [4] 1961, undated
Color Ph   6 Folder   27	Color photographs [10] , undated
	Portraits
Box   34 Folder   8	Miscellaneous [4] , undated
Box   34 Folder   9	Post Commanders [2] , 1983
Color Ph   6 Folder   28	Color photograph [1] , undated
	Subseries: Dane County Voiture No. 683, La Societe des 40 Hommes et 8 Chevaux	⇧
Box   34 Folder   10-11	Activities and 'wrecks' [13] , undated
PhN   2 Folder   5	Negative [1] , undated
Box   34 Folder   12-13	Groups [8] , 1945-circa 1953
Box   34 Folder   14	Portraits [1] 1953, circa
Box   34 Folder   15-17	Wisconsin Sports & Home Show [17] , 1959
PhN   8 Folder   33-42	Negatives [10] , undated
	Subseries: Ray S. Owen First World War photograph collection	⇧
	Aerial views
Box   34 Folder   18-25	Cities & towns [42] , 1918-1919
Box   34 Folder   26-31	Landscapes [36] , 1918-1919
	Military installations, 1918-1919
Box   34 Folder   32	Miscellaneous [6]
Box   35 Folder   1	Miscellaneous [6]
	Battlefield views
	Buildings
Box   35 Folder   2-4	Churches [19] , 1918-1919
Box   35 Folder   5-6	Damaged [12] , 1918-1919
	Front lines
Box   35 Folder   7-9	AEF unit positions [17] , 1918-1919
Box   35 Folder   10	Casualties [4] , 1918-1919
Box   35 Folder   11-13	General views [18] , 1918-1919
Box   35 Folder   14-16	Trenches [13] , 1918-1919
	Infrastructure
Box   35 Folder   17-18	Bridges [15] , 1918-1919
Box   35 Folder   19	German civil facilities [4] , 1918-1919
Box   35 Folder   20-21	Railroads [12] , 1918-1919
Box   35 Folder   22-23	Roads [10] , 1918-1919
	Military installations
Box   35 Folder   24-28	Allied facilities & headquarters [31] , 1918-1919
Box   36 Folder   1-3	Dugouts & pillboxes [19] , 1918-1919
Box   36 Folder   4-6	Gun emplacements [15] , 1918-1919
Box   36 Folder   7	Observation posts [3] , 1918-1919
	Miscellaneous
Box   36 Folder   8	Landmarks [4] , 1918-1919
Box   36 Folder   9-11	Landscapes [16] , 1918-1919
Box   36 Folder   12-13	Cemeteries [10] , 1918-1919
	Cities & towns
Box   36 Folder   14-17	Damaged & destroyed [28] , 1918-1919
Box   36 Folder   18-23	Intact [43] , 1918-1919
	War materiel
Box   36 Folder   24-25	Aircraft [7] , 1918-1919
Box   36 Folder   26-27	Artillery [11] , 1918-1919
Box   36 Folder   28	Ordnance [3] , 1918-1919
Box   36 Folder   29	Small arms [4] , 1918-1919
Box   36 Folder   30	Tanks [3] , 1918-1919
Box   36 Folder   31	Trucks [2] , 1918-1919