There was a time when even Kalamazoo had to ration out things like meat flour and even sugar. I had no clue that during World War I, there was a federal ration system put in place, and Kalamazoo was doing its part to help "Food Win The War." Looking up what this was all about I learned some interesting history, then made a really cool discovery:

President Wilson created the United States Food Administration (USFA) on August 10, 1917, shortly after we entered the war.  The USFA was tasked with stabilizing the wheat crop, and soon took on the task of considering self-rationing for the homefront. Early on the slogan "Food Will Win the War" was adopted and Americans took it to heart. Rationed foodstuff included bread, meat, and sugar.  Sugar was the first item on the list, and a weekly allowance of 3/4 pound was given.

WKMI logo
Get our free mobile app

Owning a Piece of Kalamazoo Ration History

It turns out there's a really cool piece of history this is currently up for auction on eBay right now, as someone is auctioning off a WWI Kalamazoo MI Sugar Card. The auction is set to end Saturday, October 15th at 7 pm and currently, the card has a top bid of just over $2, but that may change from now until then. It looks as though the card was distributed to a woman living off of Washburn Rd on August 21st in 1918 to who appears to be Mrs. JL Ferguson. The card was enforced by the then Food Administrator for Kalamazoo County, Edward B. Desenberg.

ration eBay
ration eBay
loading...

Colorized Pictures of Early Kalamazoo That Will Blow Your Mind

More From WKMI