The 1947 Friendship Train in Maryland
by
Dorothy R. Scheele
The Friendship Train, an almost unknown entity in American history, originated in the United States. Its purpose was to collect food from every household in every, city, county, and state in the United States to give to the starving people in France and Italy after World War II. The Friendship Train traveled through only 11 states, and although Maryland was not among them, the Maryland citizens donated. Drew Pearson, a well-known columnist and radio broadcaster during mid-century 1900s, conceived the idea of the Friendship Train. (A more complete history of the Friendship Train is available on this site.)
Maryland, known as the Old Line State and also the Free State, joined the nation in the drive for food for the Friendship Train. Encouraging advertisements appeared in newspapers such as the November 11th The Daily Mail of Hagerstown, which printed an ad “Let’s all here help fill our car for the Friendship Train. We have only two days to do it.” The Daily Times of Salisbury ran an ad, “Food Wanted. Make your contribution count.” The article continues with a list of acceptable imperishable items. In Ridgely the November 21st Denton Journal reported that Rev. J. E. Parker of the Ridgely Methodist Church was asked by Harry M. Warner to urge his congregation to contribute, a plea which was probably echoed around the state.
Baltimore, Maryland’s largest city, oddly has no record of giving to the Friendship Train. There were only slight references in the Baltimore Sun stating that a section of the train would pass through and there was no stated collection point in the city.
Salisbury and Hagerstown were the major contributors to this marvelous historical event. Salisbury on the popular eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay was the principal city of the Maryland-Delaware Metropolitan Statistical Area. In Salisbury, the American Association of University Women sponsored the drive. Donations came from various institutions, enterprises, and private citizens. Mrs. E. Dale Adkins, chairperson of the European Aid Committee, reported a few of the donations: 200 pounds of flour from a local grocery store, 100 pounds of sugar from another store, and a third contributed a case of sap. These contributions would be trucked by the Victor Lynn Lines to Pier 42 in New York. At a meeting at the home of Mrs. Horace Van Auken, the Business and Professional Clubs of Salisbury promised donations.
In Washington County, Hagerstown, approximately 180 miles west of Salisbury, shares with that city the distinction of being a major commercial and industrial center. As was often the case throughout the country, local schools were prominent in the success of the Hagerstown donations. North 6th Street’s school gave six cases of canned food. Other schools contributing were the Washington Street, American Street, and Surrey schools. In nearby Williamsport, the Lions Club of Williamsport collected food from that town and others in the vicinity. Big Pool, a tiny town in Washington County, also donated to the Friendship Train. Some gift givers touched your heart: a two-year-old boy contributed a can of milk; another boy gave a silver dollar he had saved; an elderly woman asked that her donation be sent to the train. Many donations were taken directly to the Pennsylvania freight station at the corner of Church and Washington Streets and at the Maugansville and Williamsport stations. N. D. Payne, a railroad employee, said that the station was constantly busy.
On November 13th donations poured in as the Friendship Train was to depart for Harrisburg on the 14th. Its cargo was eight tons of foodstuffs consisting of flour, dried beans, cartons of canned milk, sugar, and a few hundred pounds of miscellaneous goods. Maryland had successfully added its name to the nation’s magnanimity.
List
of Works Consulted
“Food Drive Aided By County Town” The Daily Mail [Hagerstown, Maryland] Nov. 11, 1947: 1.
Friendship Train Food Gifts Are Gathered In Salisbury” The Daily Times [Salisbury, Maryland] Nov. 17, 1947: 1.
“Sections Of Food Train Passes Through City” The Baltimore Sun Nov. 27, 1947: 12.
“Land Urges Support Of Friendship Train” The Daily Times [Salisbury, Maryland] Nov. 7, 147: 4.
“Friendship Train Donations Pour In” The Daily Mail {Hagerstown, MD] Nov. 13, 1947: 1.
“Food Drive Aided By County Town” The Daily Mail [Hagerstown, Maryland] Nov. 13, 1947: 13.
“Community’s Car For Friendship Train Is Rapidly Filling Today: The Daily Mail [Hagerstown, Maryland] Nov. 14, 1947: 1.
The author welcomes any corrections or additional information which would add to this state's history. Her email address is draetrain@gmail.com.
The Friendship Train was the genesis for the French Merci Train. Website www.mercitrain.org has information about that train. Copies of Mr. Bennett's Book The Merci Train, A Big Thank You From the French Merci Train is available at ebennett89@yahoo.com. The price is $25.00 per copy, including postage.
The author welcomes any additional information which would add to this state's history.
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