Many people do not realize that there is a World War I tie to Fort Ticonderoga. The Pell family purchased the property and the ruins of the fort, and Stephen Pell is the person credited with restoring the fort. Stephen Pell has an interesting personal story, as well. He offered his services to the French military during the first world war as an ambulance driver. When the United States finally entered the conflict, Pell wore the uniform of his own country. |
In a new display, for the first time, Fort Ticonderoga gives guests the chance to see Stephen Pell's pristine uniforms and other items from World War I. In the photos below, there is an ambulance horn, an important flag, a blue star banner, and a round box containing the shrapnel taken from Pell's leg. Curator Matthew Keagle guided participants of the Fort Ticonderoga Teacher Institute through the exhibit which compares and contrasts the French and Indian War with World War I.
About a week after returning home from the Fort Ticonderoga, I took the family to a National Guard recruiting open house in Joplin. There was an interesting display from a young man who has quite a collection of WWI uniforms and artifacts. He claims there are 20-30 more at home. Not only that, but he knew the provenance of each uniform and could tell me about the original owners. It felt good to know some of the things he was telling me (thanks to the Fort Ticonderoga Teacher Institute) and have a conversation about "the forgotten war". |