Scope and Content
The William Hurn, Jr., collection primarily documents Hurn’s United States Army service during World War I. Items include biographical information; civilian papers; clippings; correspondence; creative works: diaries and journals; military papers; printed matter; and photographs.
The biographical information was compiled and written by Hurn’s great-nephew, James R. Innis, Jr. The biographical information covers a general overview of Hurn’s life before and after World War I. Dating 1922-1925, Civilian papers include an essay, a sermon, a Boy Scouts of America assistant scoutmaster card, and a photocopy of Hurn’s death certificate. Clippings contain a brief article about Hurn's duties as a signal electrician; letter from Hurn to a newspaper regarding life in the Army; correspondence from Hurn about a fellow soldier who was wounded; and an article titled, "Year 1918 one of the most momentous in world's history," published by the Cincinnati Enquirer. The article provides a summary of World War I-related events in 1918. Clippings relating directly to Hurn are undated. All clippings are photocopies. Spanning 1917-1923, the correspondence in the collection primarily consists of postcards and letters sent by Hurn to his parents and sister. Most of the items are postcards sent to his mother. Of particular interest, a letter dated September 24, 1918, includes Hurn’s account of the Battle of Saint-Mihiel. Creative works comprise poems regarding the United States military and sheet music for the song "Casey." The diary consists of brief and sporadic daily accounts from 1923. Nearly all entries are made from January 1923 to March 1923. Military papers, dating 1917-1919, contain the veteran's enlistment certificate, discharge certificate, promotion certificates, selective service registration card, Army signal school graduation card, and a handwritten telegraph log with entries noting the weather, quality of circuits, and the Armistice. Additionally, notes written by the donor regarding three of the four authors of the telegraph log and a brief summary of the log are also included. Dated 1917-1919, printed matter includes a two booklets titled, "Popular songs of the A.E.F." and "The stuff that wins," by Dr. Luther H. Gulick. Also included is a German songbook found on the body of a German solider titled, "Der Kaiser im Feld." The photographs in the collection document various images of Hurn during his World War I service and two photographs of the North Fairmont Monument honoring those who fought in World War I in Baltimore Pike Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio.