Lydick Legend: Truth or Tale?

Tales of the Old Home Town ¹R. Grant Utley, editor. Tales of the Old Home Town. Cass Lake (MN) Times, March 20, 1958, pg 1.

Cass Lake Times

R. “Grant” Utley (1897-1985), editor of the Times wrote a weekly column called “Tales of the Old Home Town.” Using his newspaper, Mr. Utley jabbed at politicians and reminisced about days gone by. Fortunately for family historians, his writings also give us a glimpse into the lives of our ancestors.

In March of 1953, Mr. Utley waxed poetical about the military draft for World War I and how 3 local men made their way into town to register.

At that time, there were hundreds of young men living in the country north of Cass Lake who had to register. There was no bridge in the river then, and all communication was by water.

Jess McDonald, Horace Lydick and Curly Gamache started to walk to Cass Lake. When they came to the river, there was no boat or canoe available to make a crossing. There they were!

There was only one thing to do – get across!

So, the three young men – tough as they came in those days, took off their clothing, holding them over their heads waded across, put their clothes back on again, and went into town and signed up!

But, unlike the draft of the Second World War, the USA back in the year of 1917, was not interested in married men with families. There were no provision for allottments [sic] or benefits, so they sent Jess, Horace and Curly back home.

They went back home and raised their families, and their sons and their grandsons got their chance in World War II.

Truth

On April 6, 1917, the United States declared war on Germany and officially entered The Great War (WWI). Six weeks later, on May 18, 1917, Congress passed the Selective Service Act, which authorized the president to increase the military establishment of the United States. As a result, every male living within the United States between the ages of eighteen and forty-five was required to register for the draft.

The World War I draft consisted of three separate registrations.

• First Registration on June 5, 1917, was for men aged 21-31.
• Second Registration on June 5, 1918, was for men who had turned 21 since the previous registration.
• Third Registration on Sept 12, 1918, was for men aged 18-21 and 31-45.

Draft Registration

Because H.S. Lydick was 37-years-old, he appeared before local County Board during the Third Registration.

Horace Sawyer Lydick Draft Registration²United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm. Horace Sawyer Lydick, Cass County, MN.

• Horace Sawyer Lydick
• Address: Box 145 Cass Lake, Cass County, Minnesota (He was not living in Brook Lake township; he lost his homestead.)
• Laborer for Sol [Solomon] Henricks in Crocus, Towner County, North Dakota
• Registered September 9, 1918 at Towner County ND

Tale

It would seem that this “tale of the old home town” is just that, a tale. Horace, Jess and Curly were required to register, but all three of them were over 31 and therefore not required to register until the Third Registration.

Jesse “Jess” McDonald (1882-1974) listed his residence as Pennington when he registered on Sept 12, 1918 in Beltrami County. Oliver “Curly” Gamache (1888-1952) also listed his farm/residence as Pennington. However, he registered for the draft in Crow Wing County, Minnesota (the date stamp is faded and unreadable). Horace Lydick registered in North Dakota.

The three men did not come to town to register at the same time. They actually registered in three different places!

Lydick Legend

This particular published piece starts out with historical facts and then seems to blend in local legend.

McDonald and Gamache were, indeed, neighbors of H.S. Lydick when he homesteaded on the north shore of Kitchi Lake. Curly Gamache was also a cousin of Susan Roy Lydick.

There is no doubt that they knew each other; they were neighbors, friends and even family.

My own father told me about a time that he canoed in a rainstorm. He stripped naked, sat on his clothing and continued canoeing. Thus, he kept his clothes dry.

So, it does not seem out of character for my dad’s grandfather to wade through the Mississippi with his clothes bundled on his head.

This story is part truth, part tale and certainly legendary.

SOURCES

• 1
  R. Grant Utley, editor. Tales of the Old Home Town. Cass Lake (MN) Times, March 20, 1958, pg 1.
• 2
  United States, Selective Service System. World War I Selective Service System Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration. M1509, 4,582 rolls. Imaged from Family History Library microfilm. Horace Sawyer Lydick, Cass County, MN.