Office of Civilian Defense Records

Abstract

The Office of Civilian Defense Records documents the civilian support efforts of the District 4 office, headquartered in the Gold Dome Building of Garfield Park, during World War II. The collection includes administrative and organizational materials, news reports and publicity items for civilian training, volunteer efforts and War Loan drives.

Biographical/Historical

The Office of Civilian Defense was established in Washington, DC in 1941 to organize the civilian population of the United States into support of the World War II war effort. The goal of local offices was, according to a government flyer, “to enroll volunteers and to place them in jobs or training in line with their capacities” and to “provide a central place in which all accredited training courses for volunteers may be listed and to arranged for such additional courses as may be necessary.” By January, 1942, Chicago had been divided into Civilian Defense Districts and districts into blocks. Each block was headed by a block captain, whose duties were to enroll volunteers for service as air wardens, auxiliary firemen and police, drivers, nurses, messengers, etc.

Scope and Contents

While the collection documents the work of more than one district on Chicago’s west side, it would appear that the materials in this collection are the records of the District 4 office. District 4 was bounded by Clinton Street on the east, the south branch of the Chicago River and the drainage canal on the south, the city limits on the west, and a crooked line formed by Kinzie, Kedzie and North Avenues on the north. Its headquarters were in the Gold Dome Building of Garfield Park. The collection documents The District 4 office work to organize and train volunteers and lead home front initiatives such as the collection of salvage items and funds for War Loans. Box 3, Folder 5 contains a document titled, “Suggested classification scheme for files on Civilian Defense,” that provides the organization’s own organizational strategy for preserving a record of its activities.

Arrangement

The Office of Civilian Defense Records is arranged into 2 Series: Series 1: Documents, 1942-1945 and Series 2: Photographs, circa 1942-1945.

Subject Headings

• National Salvage Program
• Salvage (Waste, etc.)
• United States. Office of Civilian Defense. Chicago Metropolitan Area
• World War, 1939-1945

Related Collections

• Henry D. Green Photograph Collection
• James H. Roche Papers
• World War II Collection

Collection Inventory

Series 1: Documents, 1942-1945

Scope and Contents

Series 1 contains bulletins, correspondence, manuals, news clippings and posters related to community volunteer activities, membership, organizational planning and war loan drives.

Arrangement

Series 1 is arranged alphabetically by topic and chronologically within.

Series 2: Photographs, circa 1942-1945

Scope and Contents

Series 2 contains photographs that depict the organizations staff, committees and events.

Arrangement

Series 2 is arranged alphabetically by topic. The number of different photographs on the same topic is indicated in parentheses.