California Historical Survey Commission

History

In 1918, the California State Council of Defense (first created in 1916) formed the War History Committee for the purpose of assembling the records of the war and preserving all material of historical value relating to California's part in that War. The actual direction of the work of the Committee was given to the Historical Survey Commission (created in 1915) under the immediate supervision of Dr. Owen C. Coy. Under this director, a county war history committee was to be created in each of the 58 counties. Each committee was expected to prepare reports dealing with local war activities and to gather and compile statistical information on those activities. They were to collect newspaper clippings, war programs, war addresses, photographs, manuscripts, documents, posters, and other fleeting war history material.

Beginning in 1918, the Committee forwarded requests and a preprinted form (California Honor Roll) to the various counties to gather biographical information on soldiers. The soldiers' record cards were 3x5" cards separated into Casualty men and Non-casualty men. A Casualty card would contain the soldier's name, date & page where listed in Official U.S. Bulletin, name of relative, a code indicating type of death. A Non-casualty card would begin with a code in upper left corner signifying type of card, soldier's name, location of his biographical file, indication of a biographical card (California Honor Roll) and/or photograph. These cards, in addition to photographs and newspaper clippings from local papers were sent by the counties to the Committee.

From the guide to the World War I Soldiers File, (California State Library)