The Friendship Train in Michigan
by
Dorothy R. Scheele
The Friendship Train, one of America’s greatest
contributions to mankind, exploded into American life in November
1947. Leaving from Los Angeles on
November 7, the train reached New York 11 days later. Its purpose: to collect food for the famished people
of France and Italy. All aspects of
the Friendship Train were gratis, from the food itself, rail
transportation, unloading the cargo of the freight cars unto the ships,
trans-Atlantic shipping, and the myriad other jobs demanded by such a
colossal endeavor. Although the
Friendship Train traveled through only 11 states, every state contributed
to it.
Michigan, like most other states, did not have the
opportunity to easily contribute to the Friendship Train as it did not stop
in the State. Despite the logistic
obstacles, some citizens expressed in the Florence Morning News the wish to
contribute to the original Friendship Train. Mrs. R. J. Bothwell,
head of the Citizens Food Committee, wanted to collect enough food to fill
a boxcar. If this effort became a
reality, it is at this time indeterminable.
Michigan decided to create their own friendship train and called it the Friendship Train Caravan. The Friendship
Train Caravan was sponsored by the Michigan State Junior Chamber of
Commerce; Ransom Phillips was chairman of this committee, and James E. Blaney, became chairman of the food drive.
By the time Michigan was launching its first food
campaign for the Friendship Train Caravan, the original Friendship Train’s
first cargo shipment was crossing the Atlantic.
The original plan had been for the Friendship Train
Caravan to travel through three cities: Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Detroit.
It was scheduled to stop to on February 11th and 12th in those cities. With the urging of Detroit Mayor Edward
J. Jeffries, who had proclaimed the week of January 7, 1948, as Friendship
Food Caravan Week, and Grand Rapids Mayor George Welsh, the route had been
expanded. The state’s Junior Chamber
of Commerce had also urged a longer route.
By December 30, 1947, the collection of food for the Friendship
Train Caravan was reported as going well. This encouraging report was not a surprise because of the plethora
of donors. A. C. Valcanoff and Theodore Dines, owners of the International Grocery located at 734
Grand River Avenue, Lansing reported selling more than the usual amount of
food. In Detroit, The Lions Clubs of
District 11-A, St. Clair Rotary club, and Port Huron and Maryville Jr.
Chamber of Commerce presented a truck filled with14 tons of food to Jean Belliard from the French Embassy in Washington, D.
C. This truck carried 2,250 pounds
of beans donated by Ward E. Kind of Michigan Elevator Exchange. The trucks were part of a 30 truck
caravan which departed the fair grounds and drove down Woodward Avenue to
City Hall. Birmingham High School
Band played at this ceremony which had been televised. Every package had the following
statement:
"All races
and creeds make up the vast melting pot of America,
and in a
democratic and Christian spirit of good will toward men,
we, the American
people, have worked together to bring this
food to your
doorsteps, hoping that it will tide you over until
your own fields are again rich and abundant with
crops."
The Optimist Club in Lansing donated more than 50 pounds
of food. Mrs. Howard Slenker, President of the Fruit Belt Auxiliary of the
V.F.W. Post 1137, announced that the state auxiliary had given two carloads
of baby food. Mrs. Earl Moser of Harbor Springs notified
the Emmet County Auxiliary 2051 that the women in the area had also raised
enough money so that their funds, combined with the funds of other Michigan
women would be enough to feed 500 babies for an entire winter. Five new members of Auxiliary Unit 12
contributed $50 to the food drive. Ransom Phillips stated that the citizens of Kalamazoo had
contributed 30 tons of flour, and the Gerber Company donated a full carload
of baby food. Food drives were
launched in Howard, Mason, Jackson, and other surrounding towns. Businesses contributed cash which would
be used to buy groceries. The food
drive in the Great Lake State ended on January 12, 1948. According to Jack Anderson of Birmingham,
by January 21, 1948, 78 communities alone had already contributed.
The entirety of the contributions was stored in a heated
warehouse at 3112 Turner Street, Lansing, owned by James McLaughlin of the
Lansing Bag and Barrell Company who donated the
building. Robert J. Wileden, Lansing Jaycee president, declared that the
cargo would go to France because of that country’s victory over communism.
George C. Fraser was selected to accompany the shipment
to Europe. Walter Braund, who was in charge of overseas arrangements, and
Irwin Jauffe, co-chairman of the project committee
traveled to Paris with Mr. Fraser. Also, accompanying the delegation were five Michigan Junior Chamber
of Commerce members who were to film moving pictures of the cargo being
unloaded in France and to be shown in the United States at a later date. The committee was scheduled to arrive in
Paris on January 29th. The ship, S .S. Avranch, had transported the badly needed nutrients.
French citizenry was thrilled to receive the food. Some of the citizens sent thank you notes
to their benefactors. Mr. and Mrs.
John Buchfink received a note of appreciation
from 20 school children. However,
an enormous display of the country’s gratitude for the Friendship Train
arrived in a unique form. It was
called the Merci train.
The Merci train consisted of 49 boxcars filled with
gifts from the French people to the American people. Many thank you notes were attached to the
presents. As the food from the
United States was given by ordinary citizens, so were the gifts on the
Merci donated by everyday French citizens. The Merci train’s 49 boxcars, known as the 40 and 8s, were intended
for each state and one to be shared by Hawaii and Washington D. C. The gifts ranged from simple, items such
as a comb or crayon to the impressive such as a stained glass window from a
bombed cathedral or one of the first petroleum-operated cars manufactured
in France.
Michigan’s first exhibit of its Merci boxcar was at the
state fair on Wednesday September 7, 1949. Gov. Williams, who accepted the 40 & 8 officially turned it over to the Michigan 40 & 8 members who had ridden in the
boxcars during both World Wars. Grand Chief du Gare Grande Voiture, Al Rossman received
the treasured boxcar.
Michigan’s Merci train’s boxcar is located at 2949 S.
Waverly Highway, Lansing, MI 48911. To date, there is no knowledge of the location of any existing gifts.
(Noteworthy is that the Friendship Train had absolutely
no connection with the Marshall Plan. The former was sponsored by the
people, not the government).
List Of Works Consulted
“Food Caravan Far From Local Goal” Lansing State Journal [Lansing, Michigan] Jan. 9, 1948: 6.
“Food Collections Exceeding Hopes” Lansing State Journal [Lansing, Michigan] Dec.
31, 1947: 1.
“Fraser Fly to France To Supervise JCC Project” The Trojan Herald [Port Huron,
Michigan] Jan. 21, 1948:1.
“Fraser” The Times
Herald [Port Huron, Michigan] Jan. 21, 1948; 2.
“Friendship Train Plans Made Here” Lansing State Journal [Lansing, Michigan] Dec. 17, 1947: 32.
“Friendship Caravan Loads Up Michigan Food For France” The Escanaba Daily [Escanaba.
Michigan] Press Jan. 7, 1948: 1.
“Jaycees…” Lansing
State Journal [Lansing, Michigan] Dec. 19, 1947: 10.
“Jaycees Continue Collection Plans?” Lansing State Journal [Lansing,
Michigan] Dec.
30, 1947: 2.
Lansing State Journal [Lansing, Michigan] Jan. 8, 1948: 33.
“Legion Auxiliary
Initiates Members” Lansing State
Journal [Lansing, Michigan] Jan. 14, 1948:12.
“Marysville, St. Clair Push Food Drive Deadline Back” The Times Herald [Port Huron,
Michigan] Jan. 2, 1948: 14.
“Merci Car Will Be Shown At State Fair In Detroit” The Times Herald [Port Huron,
Michigan] Sept. 1, 1949: 30.
“No Thank You? “ Battle Creek Enquirer [Battle Creek,
Michigan] Mar. 27, 1949: 4.
“Shipment Part of JCC Aid Caravan Loaded In Detroit” The Times Herald [Port Huron,
Michigan]) Jan. 13, 1948: 1.
“State Set to
Welcome Merci” Detroit Free Press [Detroit,
Michigan] Feb. 7, 1949: 13.
The author welcomes any corrections or additional information which would add to this state's history. Her email address is draetrain@gmail.com.
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