Finding Aid for the Harrison C. Mower First World War correspondence 2014.163.w.r
John Encarnacion
Center for American War Letters Archives
6/7/2016
Leatherby Libraries
Chapman University
Orange, CA 92866
speccoll@chapman.edu
Contributing Institution:
Center for American War Letters Archives
Title: Harrison C. Mower First World War correspondence
source:
Smith, Michael C., Mr.
Identifier/Call Number: 2014.163.w.r
Identifier/Call Number: 968
Physical Description:
1.38 Linear Feet
(1.5 boxes, 1 small realia box)
Date (inclusive): 1916 August 25 - 1939 May 09
Abstract: This collection contains correspondence written to and from LtCol. Harrison Curtis Mower, AEF during the First World War.
Also included are biographical documents, photographs, postcards, and realia from the Spanish-American War.
Language of Material:
English
.
Container: WWI 10
Container: 1-7
Container: 1-7
Container: Mower realia box 1
This collection is open for research.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Michael C. Smith
This collection is arranged by material type and chronology.
- Series 1, Correspondence from Harrison C. Mower
- Series 2, Correspondence from various authors
- Series 3, Biographical documents
- Series 4, Photographs and postcards
- Series 5, Medals, insignia, ribbon
Lieutenant Colonel Harrison C. Mower, American Expeditionary Force (1874 - 4/16/1939) was born in Grand Haven, Michigan and
married Mable Smith in Detroit on October 26, 1901. He was in government service as a civil engineer, designing locks and
dams, and even worked on the Panama canal, he and his wife returning from Colon, Republic of Panama on October 30, 1913 (Ancestry.com,
passenger manifest). He was commissioned as a Captain in the Engineer Reserves when the United States entered the First World
War. Later that year he was promoted to the rank of Major and in 1918 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. He served in
France as executive officer of the 307th Engineers, 82nd Division, participating in the Meuse Argonne offensive. He left Hoboken,
New Jersey for France in May 1918 and returned from Bordeaux, France in April 1919.
On a document dated May 9, 1939, it was written that Mower died on April 16, 1939 in his home on Balboa Island, California.
[Item title / description; Box "n" / Folder "n"], Harrison C. Mower First World War correspondence (2014.163.w.r), Center
for American War Letters Archives, Chapman University, CA.
For the benefit of current and future researchers, please cite any additional information about sources consulted in this
collection, including permanent URLs, item or folder descriptions, and box/folder locations.
This collection contains 111 correspondence written to and from LtCol. Harrison Curtis Mower, AEF before and during the First
World War. Correspondence from Mower was sent to his wife Mabel and those written to Mower were from friends and colleagues
in the military from 1915-1939.
The collection also contains biographical documents about Mower and the 307th Engineers, 69 photographs, 19 blank postcards,
6 clippings, and an assortment of medals and insignia, some of which are from the Spanish-American War.
Added 11/1/2021:
Three PDF files containing biographical information and 1 JPG file containing a portrait of Mower.
There are no restrictions on the use of this material except where previously copyrighted material is concerned. It is the
responsibility of the researcher to obtain all permissions.For further copyright information, please contact the archivist.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
World War (1914-1918)
Correspondence -- World War, 1914-1918
Spanish-American War, 1898
Photographs
Postcards.
Smith, Michael C., Mr.
Mower, Harrison C.
box WWI 10, folder 1-3, folder 1-3
Series 1, Correspondence from Harrison C. Mower 1918-1919
Physical Description: .3 Linear Feet(3 folders)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains correspondence written by LtCol. Harrison Curtis Mower, AEF to his wife Mabel, during his service in
the First World War. In his letters, Mower writes about his daily routines and activities. He also inquires about Mabel's
own routines and activities.
box WWI 10, folder 4, folder 4
Series 2, Correspondence from various authors 1915-1939
Physical Description: .1 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains correspondence written by various authors, most of which were sent to LtCol. Harrison C. Mower, AEF before
and during the First World War. Most of the authors were friends and colleagues of Mower who also served in the military.
box WWI 10, folder 5, folder 5
box WWI 10, folder 6, folder 6
Series 4. Photographs and postcards
Physical Description: .1 Linear Feet(1 folder)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains an assortment of photographs and blank postcards belonging to LtCol. Harrison C. Mower, AEF from the
First World War. Subjects of the photographs include destroyed buildings and towns, bridges, dams, fellow soldiers, and battlefields.
Some of the photographs have captions identifying the subjects of the photographs. One notable photograph is of Commander
John J. Pershing, AEF.
box WWI 10, folder 7, box Mower realia box 1
Series 5. Medals, insignia, ribbon
Physical Description: .8 Linear Feet(1 folder, 1 small realia box)
Language of Material: English.
This series contains a collection of medals, insignia, and a ribbon. The medals and insignia belonged to LtCol. Harrison C.
Mower, AEF for his service during the First World War. The ribbon belonged to Harrison C. Mower's father, Major S.C. Mower,
MST (State Troops).
Inventory of medals and insignia:
- #1 - U.S. Army 202nd Air Defense Battalion Unit Crest (Arte Et Armis)
- #2 - Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, (MOLLUS), or simply as the Loyal Legion is a United States patriotic order, organized April 15, 1865, by officers of the Army, Navy, or Marine Corps of the United States who "had aided in maintaining the honor, integrity, and supremacy of the national movement" during the American Civil War.
- #3 - Former U.S. Marine Corps Rifle Marksmanship Badge.
- #4 - The badge is of bronze, made from cannons captured in battle during the Civil War, and is in a form of a five-pointed star, similar in design to the two hundred Medals of Honor, authorized by an act of Congress to be given to the soldiers and sailors most distinguished for meritorious and gallant conduct during the Civil War.
- #5 - Unknown Medal. Inscribed with "Id Fiet"
- #6 - Medal was issued by the state of Michigan to soldiers and sailors from the state who served in the Spanish American War and early Phillippine American War. Text reads "WAR WITH SPAIN AND PHILIPPINE CAMPAIGN 1898 - 1900." The back shows a fascia with halberd and a laurel wreath surround the location for the veteran to have their name engraved. The text reads "THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN TO".
- #7 - Service ribbon for the Spanish-American War Service medal. It was awarded to members who performed garrison occupation duty in Cuba, following the close of the Spanish–American War
- #8 - Company L, 31st Michigan Volunteers Spanish-American War "H.C. Mower"
- #9 - 107th Cavalry Regiment, Ohio Army National Guard Medal (Facere Non Dicere)
- #10 - Medal for the Cuban Campaign (Medalla de la Campaña de Cuba), 1873. The medal was instituted on 27 June 1873 to be awarded to naval and military who participated in the Ten Years' War (Guerra de los Diez Años) of 1868 to 1878 or the Little War (Guerra Chiquita) of 1879 to 1880 against insurgent Cuban forces seeking independence from Spain.
- #11 - Service ribbon bar. Order from left to right: Mexican Service Medal, Haitian Campaign Medal, and World War I Victory Medal
- #12 - American Society of Civil Engineers medal x2. Medals are dated Oct. 1913
- #13 - U.S. Army 119th Field Artillery Unit Crest (Viam Praeparamus)
- #14 - Unknown Medal. Inscribed with "Juste et Fortiter"
- #15 - Service Blue Star Pin
- #16 - Medal for the 47th Annual Convention of the American Society of Civil Engineers
- #17 - Medal for the International Engineering Congress in San Fransico, 1915 for the American Society of Civil Engineers.
- #18 - U.S. Army Officer's Lapel Insignia (x2)
- #19 - U.S.N.A. Officer's Lapel Insignia (x2)
- #20 - Officer's Lapel with paper backing
- #21 - WWI US Army Officer collar badge U.S.R.
- #22 - US Army Collar Pin U.S. NA
- #23 - Unknown medal
- #24 - Insignia - Brass Hat, 1872 Infantry
- #25 - Lieutenant colonel rank insignia (x4)
- #26 - Assorted 19th century shank buttons