Editor’s Note: We are republishing excerpts from the 1917 Woodford Sun. The United States entered the First World War by declaring war on the German Empire on April 6, 1917. The Clippings will tell how Woodford County responded and was impacted by “The Great War.” We will return to 1891, where we have been since November, for a few weeks in July and August for the ratification debate and vote on the 1891 Kentucky Constitution. For historical purposes, we reprint the Clippings “warts and all,” and so the presence of derogatory and racist stereotypical words are reprinted.

The Woodford Sun

May 24, 1917

[MARGARET COLLEGE] The Woodford County Committee of Margaret College announced it had a terrific response to the announcement of its first ever appeal to raise capital funds. Margaret College is an absolute necessity to Woodford County. To dispense with it is unthinkable. Its loss would entail upon a very large number of residents and inflict the most serious injury on others with the loss of educational facilities. Margaret College is an institution in which the whole County takes a genuine, wholesome pride. It is a moral and social asset whose influences for good cannot be measured by money.

[THE WAR] It is estimated 7,000,000 men have been in killed in the War thus far, and our great Republic has yet to enter it in force having just declared war against the German aggressors. President Wilson has ordered Major General John Pershing to lead an expeditionary force of U.S. regulars to France as soon as it can be made ready.

[REGISTRATION JUNE 5 FOR SELECTIVE DRAFT] Pres. Wilson signed the Selective Service Draft War Bill ordering a registration of all men ages 21 to 30 for military service on June 5. The registration will be held between 7 am to 9 pm at each precinct. A year’s imprisonment and enforced registration are the penalty for failure to register. The county board of registrars, as designated by Gov. .Stanley are the county clerk, county sheriff, and county physician.

[DAVIS MEMORIAL] Col. E.H. Taylor, Jr., of Woodford County. Has made a contribution of $2,500 towards the erection of a 351-foot obelisk in the President Jefferson Davis Memorial Park at Fairview, Ky. It was one of the largest subscriptions received.

[LYNCHING] A mob in Fulton, Kentucky, took from jail and hanged Lawrence Dempsey, a negro, charged with fatally cutting Clarence Dublin, a railroad watchman. Also, near Memphis, Tennessee, a mob burned to death a negro who murdered a young white girl.

[TAXED ON $1,723,812] The City Tax Supervisors have completed their work and adjourned. The assessments of the City Assessor’s books shows Versailles total assessment in 1917 to be $1,723,812. The white list total is $1,644,537 and the colored lists $79,275. `

[LOST PIG] Strayed from my pen on Lexington Pike, a pig weighing about 60 pounds. Suitable reward for information leading to its recovery. Charles Stull.

[LIBERTY BONDS] Versailles bankers are predicting $60,000 will be spent locally on subscribing to U.S. liberty bonds over the next few months.