Columbus Women and World War II

SOURCE: Columbus Women and WWII by Elizabeth Gilliland. March 5, 1998. Shaw High School Young Historians Oral History Collection. Columbus State University Archives.

---

This month, we are celebrating Women's History Month with a two-part series from a project conducted by a member of the Shaw High School Young Historians in 1998, entitled Columbus Women and World War II. World War II has often been referred to as a watershed moment in the history of American women. Millions would see changes in their lives as a result of being thrust into the workforce, as well as becoming the heads of their families. Many women went to work in wartime factories, on railroads, and even shipyards, gaining a sense of economic independence. Women also began participating more socially and assuming leadership roles. However, not all changes would last. When the men returned from war, most women went back to their traditional roles.

Economic, social, and political changes in the lives of some Columbus women can be seen through the stories of Katherine Gilliland, a single woman in her late teens/early twenties, Edwina Harris, a young woman who became a widow during the war, Agnes Albright, a mother of two who opened up her home to families in need of a place to stay, and Lurie Kendrick, an African American woman who starts and runs her own business during the war.

Today's Spotlight covers the stories of Katherine Gilliland and Edwina Harris.

Katherine Gilliland's story is the story of a single, young woman trying to support herself during the war. Katherine, like other single women her age in Columbus, was affected economically and socially. Katherine was born in 1921 on a small farm in Moultrie, Ga. She moved to Columbus to find a job and become more independent. She began working at Schwob Manufacturing Company, located on Lower Broad Street, in 1941, and she worked there for eight years. Schwob made men’s dress clothes and military uniforms. Katherine worked on the floor, with other women, as a seamstress. Each woman had only one part to sew of the suit being constructed. Katherine was responsible for sewing the hip and front pockets. The suit would then be passed to another woman to sew the next part. She described this process as a "small assembly line" (interview with Gilliland).

The majority of the employees at Schwob Manufacturing Co. were White women. Katherine explained that the only men who worked there were the floor managers, supervisors, and the pressers who were African American. The African American men worked in a different section of the building than the White women. She said that she never knew of the company employing African American women.

Katherine, like the other sewers, at Schwob was affected economically by the war. They had to work between eight and ten hours a day, and five to six days a week depending on if there was a big order of uniforms due. The sewers were paid $25 a week plus any overtime.

Katherine explained that during the war places to live were hard to find anyway, and even harder to find if you were only paid $25 per week. She found a boarding house to live in downtown near her job.

Mrs. Cartledge's boarding house, located at 645 Broad Street (pictured above), was home to eighteen single women at one time. All the women were expected to be employed, and most of them worked for Schwob. The women paid $20 a week for a room and three meals a day. They shared bedrooms and one bathroom. Katherine explained that Mrs. Cartledge did not normally keep eighteen girls, but with the war and money being tight, she needed to do so.

Socially, Katherine and the other girls living at the boarding house were affected by WWII. She explained that a few of the girls, including herself, were members of the United Service Organization. The members of the U.S.O. would write soldiers letters, send them Christmas cards, and wrap presents. However, the best thing about the U.S.O. was the dances. The young girls would go to the U.S.O. dances for a night full of entertainment. The young women would also go to the movies or around downtown for entertainment (interview with Gilliland).

Politically, Katherine was not that affected by the war. She did not vote before, during, or after the war. However, she said most of the girls living in the boarding home did vote. She also explained that she really did not see women taking on new leadership roles. Many women that she encountered who worked at Schwob stayed in the same position throughout the war. She explained that the women would come and go, but they did not advance to leadership positions within the company. The management positions remained filled by men (interview with Gilliland).

The transition to peacetime was smooth for Katherine. She continued to work for Schwob Manufacturing Company until 1949. In 1946, Katherine got married to a young man who had served in the war. When they got married, she continued to work until she became pregnant in 1949.

The Reich Dry Goods building is a late 19th century commercial building located at 14 West 11th Street. In 1940, the Army and Navy Branch of the YMCA opened in the building. It was a branch of the USO and the original USO in Columbus. The original front facade was renovated in the 1940s to the facade you see today.

Edwina Harris grew up in Columbus and married a young military man from North Carolina. Edwina and her husband, Hugh, had only been married for a short while and had just given birth to their first son. Their son was eight weeks old when Hugh was called to war in 1942.

As a result, Edwina moved out of her and her husband’s home and back in with her mother. She explained that she paid her mother’s rent and would help with groceries. However, this was often difficult because she had to wait until she received her husband’s check in the mail. She explained that it would come at different times every month. Edwina's husband was killed in Okinawa, Japan during WWII. Her husband’s death was devastating emotionally and financially for Edwina. She then went to work as a schoolteacher to support her son.

Edwina became a temporary single mom, then one permanently with her husband’s death. She commented on how hard it was for her to be a single mother during this time. She also had a strong resentment towards the Japanese people for a while. She explained that she did not have something or someone to blame for the death of her husband, so for a long time, she blamed an entire race. A few years later, a young Japanese child was assigned Edwina’s classroom. She pleaded with the principal to have the child placed with a different teacher, but he refused. The principal felt that Edwina needed to teach and interact with this young girl. Edwina said, "It was my interaction with her that healed my resentment." (interview with Harris)

Looking North on Broadway from 12th Street - 1941 - Library of Congress

Edwina also participated in social events during the war. She participated in the U.S.O. club, was the director for Beta Sigma Pi, a sorority for girls who did not go to college, and she started the Nosegay Garden Club. Edwina, like Katherine, explained that the U.S.O. would wrap presents for soldiers, and send them cards. The U.S.O. would also hold dances. The other social clubs that Edwina was involved in did not directly participate in any war efforts, but they did provide a good support group for her after her husband died.

Politically, Edwina felt that she was not really affected by the war. She voted before, during, and after the war. She stated that she "voted for Roosevelt every time" (interview with Harris). Edwina has continued to vote throughout her life. When asked if she saw more women taking on leadership roles during the war, she said "No, not really I didn't see any of my friends or other women I knew taking on leadership positions" (interview with Harris). However, Edwina demonstrated the qualities of a leader as the director of the Beta Sigma Pi sorority and as one of the founders of her garden club.

Edwina's transition to peacetime was difficult and her story is similar to many women in Columbus during the war. Many women lost their husbands and were left to be single mothers. The newly widowed women were faced with economic hardships. Many of them were forced to go to work for the first time.

Looking South on Broadway from 12th Street - 1941 - Library of Congress