World War I Footlocker

Based on an interview with the donor by John Darby Nottingham
Photographs by Joshua La Liberte

Uniform of Wallace A. Howes

Wallace Addison Howes was born on March 1, 1895 in Ashfield, Massachusetts to Walter K. and Ida Wolfram Howes in their Ashfield home. His father was a photographer, one of the three Howes Brothers photographers. From 1886-1902, the Howes Brothers traveled western Massachusetts and beyond taking and selling photographs, often of a family grouped in front of their house, during an era when few people owned cameras. Walter had met Ida Wolfram while on a photography tour in South Coventry, Connecticut. The couple married in 1888. The 1900 census lists five-year old Wallace Howes living at 78 Chestnut Street in Florence, where his father boarded while on a photography tour. Listed on the census for the residence are his father, mother, older sister Ruth, older brother Karl, uncle George Howes and his wife, and two assistant photographers, one with his wife.

Wallace attended school in Northampton, where he graduated from Northampton High School in 1914. From there, Wallace attended Cornell University College of Civil Engineering until 1917 when he enlisted in the United States Army. In his time at Cornell, Wallace registered as a non-commissioned officer with the university battalion. Wallace became one of the first men from western Massachusetts to become enrolled at Camp Plattsburg, a training facility for the United States armed forces.  There he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 302nd Artillery Division, Battery A of the United States Army on August 15, 1917.  He served as an instructor at the third and fourth officers' training schools at Camp Devens. On July 14, 1918, he was sent overseas, first stopping over in England on July 26, 1918 on his way to France, where he landed on August 2, 1918.  Shortly after his arrival on the European front, Wallace received a short furlough from duty, in which he returned home to Northampton and married a longtime resident of Florence, Ms. Florence Ethel Westney (1894-1940) on August 17, 1918.  He was sent back to Europe where he participated in the St. Hilaire Offensive of November 4-11, 1918.  He returned home on April 26, 1919 and was honorably discharged from the armed forces on April 30, 1919.

World War I Footlocker of Wallace Addison Howes

Following the end of the war and the birth of his first child, Wallace A. Howes, Jr., Wallace became employed at his family's brick manufacturing company, the Howes Brick Company in Northampton and Florence. For a few years, Wallace and his family boarded at the Florence offices of the brickyard located at 74 Maple Street. By 1921, Wallace purchased a home of his own at 82 North Maple Street in Florence, just in time for the arrival of his second child, Anne Elizabeth Howes on February 21, 1922. He continued to work for the Howes Brick Company, eventually becoming president-secretary of the company in 1925. According to his obituary, he served as vice president of the New England Brick Manufacturers Association.  In 1924, he purchased the Florence Garage Company located at 53 Main Street in Florence and operated the shop for almost eleven years until he sold it in 1934. The garage company had provided extra income for Wallace's growing family. On May 18, 1927, his youngest child, Kimball Westney Howes, was born. From 1935 to 1938, he was an engineer with the Public Works Administration, the ERA and Works Progress Administration. Beginning in 1938, he worked as Superintendent of Streets for the city of Northampton, a position he held for nearly 23 years into 1961.

Shortly after the acquisition of the Florence Garage Company, Wallace became involved in Northampton city government and other civic organizations. He served on the Common Council, the Board of Aldermen and the City Recreation Committee. From 1927-1937, he served eleven consecutive terms on the Northampton School Committee. He was a member and past commander of the local post of the American Legion, a past president of the Kiwanis Club and a member of the Military Order of World War I. He was also one of the organizers of the Tri-County Highway Superintendents Association, comprising highway superintendents in three counties. During World War II, he was acting city engineer. Two months prior to his death, he had been reappointed to the Planning Board to his third consecutive five-year term. 

Photograph Album

Wallace A. Howes passed away on August 14, 1964 in Northampton.  Burial was in Spring Grove Cemetery. John Blyda, commander of the Northampton Post of the American Legion, folded the United States burial flag and presented it to his third wife, Clara Roberts Harris Howes. In 2008, his son, Kimball Howes, donated his father’s World War I footlocker to the collection at Historic Northampton.  Inside the footlocker are the uniform, boots and ribbon medals of Wallace Howes, along with photographs, maps, books and ephemera documenting his World War I experience. Images of the Wallace Howes' footlocker and selected contents were photographed by Joshua La Liberte. View items from Wallace Howes' footlocker online in Historic Northampton’s digital collections catalog.

At top: Jacket worn by Wallace A. Howes (1895-1964) during his service in the United States Army from August 15, 1917 to April 30, 1919.  The jacket has a 302nd Field Artillery pin on the collar, an artillery insignia on the shoulder, and an inter-allied victory medal on the breast with "ST. MIHIEL - DEFENSIVE SECTOR" on the ribbon. 

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