With the Colors
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Eastern Illinois University
600 Lincoln Ave.
Charleston, IL 61920
(217) 581-3310
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“With the Colors” is a digitized documentary collection of newspapers clippings originally clipped and pasted into seven scrapbooks during the World War II era. The collection, derived largely from The Newton Press-Mentor, documents the remarkable wartime experiences of men from one small county in mid-central Illinois. Some 13,437 people resided in Jasper County in 1940 (roughly 2,350 lived in Newton, the county seat and largest town), the vast majority working in the agricultural sector. The county’s population fell to 10,878 three years later, as residents joined the military or relocated in an economy rapidly transformed by the war. Hundreds of Jasper County men served in all branches overseas during World War II—both in the Atlantic and Pacific theaters. They saw some of the most brutal fighting and conditions the war offered. Several ended up in prison camps, scores suffered serious injury, and 42 gave their lives.
The clipping collection later became part of the Newton, Illinois Public Library’s permanent collection. In 2014, the Library Board launched a project through Eastern Illinois University to digitize the clipping collection, with the aim of preserving and making it available to a wider audience. EIU History graduate student Tyler Custer undertook the painstaking job of scanning hundreds of delicate newspaper clippings. The scans then were collated into text searchable format and uploaded onto an EIU server—and are now available to researchers both in Jasper County and around the world.
Our thanks to Tyler Custer, Lori Henderson, Alex Stromberg, and the Newton Library Board for making this project possible.
Researchers may search the database by date, name, or key words. Results appear in the form of pdf copies of the original clippings.
Search the collection
Browse by Year
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8-3-43 E.F. Gorrell returns home after visiting son in California.pdf
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8-3-43 With the Colors section.pdf
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8-4-43 D. Huddlestun receives Wings as Ensign.pdf
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8-5-43 K. Brooks honored while home on leave from Navy.pdf
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8-6-43 With the Colors section.pdf
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8-8-43 Farewell party for Miss V.A. Graham.pdf
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8-10-43 J.E. Thompson is home from Guadalcanal.pdf
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8-10-43 W.L. Mineo graduates as bombardier.pdf
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8-10-43 With the Colors section.pdf
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8-13-43 Miss B. McKnight receives decorated grass skirt from her uncle in the Pacific.pdf
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8-16-43 F. Mulvaney obituary.pdf
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8-20-43 Mrs. N. Eaton has been employed as math teacher.pdf
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8-20-43 Sgt. D. Blair takes course at University of Edinburgh.pdf
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8-20-43 With the Colors section.pdf
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8-24-43 With the Colors section.pdf
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8-25-43 J.E. Thompson given farewall dinner at the end of his furlough.pdf
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8-27-43 Red Foley and Eva to be at Oblong fair.pdf
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8-27-43 With the Colors section.pdf
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8-31-43 Picture of two Wheeler men with their medals for safter from the ICR.pdf
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8-31-43 S.G. Ward and E.D. Wilson awarded saftey medals by railroad.pdf
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8-31-43 Three Jasper Co. men receive commissions.pdf
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8-31-43 With the Colors section.pdf