The Mysteries of a Spanish-American War Uniform

One of the Nebraska History Museum’s wonderful volunteers is re-cataloging and researching the museum’s Spanish-American War uniforms.  This particular private’s uniform has the name Fred Lecron marked several times on its lining.

Our volunteer’s eagle eye spotted something else that is particularly interesting. Inside the sleeves are several ink drawings, including a dog’s head and a landscape scene. (Both photographs are below. Left: A private’s Spanish-American War-era sack coat. Source: C.C. Sheldon, Columbus, Nebraska.)

 

Who was Fred Lecron? Unfortunately, the donation records do not provide us with any information about him.  With a little research, however, we think we’ve found our man.  A Fred Lecron is listed on a Spanish-American War roster for Company A of the Second Nebraska Regiment. The 1940 Who’s Who in Nebraska also lists a Fred S. Lecron, who served in the war. After the war, he attended Wayne State Teachers College and taught at Platte Center High School.  In 1908, he became the Platte County superintendent of schools, and held the position for thirty-four years.  Lecron died in 1944.

The Second Nebraska was sent to Camp Thomas, Georgia, where soldiers were said to have a lot of idle time.  Living conditions were horrible. Mosquitoes were rampant and many suffered from dysentery.   Did Lecron sketch on his sleeves on one of the long, dull days at Camp Thomas?

There was one more mystery that we were able to solve.  In addition to the uniform, the 1955 donation included a few other Spanish-American War-era objects. Unfortunately, no provenance was noted in the records.  Were these other items associated with Fred Lecron, or did the donor collect Spanish-American War materials from a variety of sources? One of the items is a button with a photo of a soldier.  Is this soldier Fred S. Lecron?

A search of our Library/Archives led us to a 1928-29 portrait of Fred S. Lecron, which helped us confirm that he is the soldier on the button. Although we may never know the story behind the drawings on Lecron’s uniform, we now know a little about the man who wore it.  In time, perhaps we’ll uncover more stories about Lecron and his experience with the Second Nebraska.

Do you have your own mysterious object or story to research?  History Nebraska (The Nebraska State Historical Society) has many resources that can help.

–Laura Mooney, Museum Registrar  (Posted September 2010)

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

You May Also Enjoy

Marker Monday: World War II Hero Charles Jackson French

Marker Monday: World War II Hero Charles Jackson French

American Archives Month: 9 Types of Photographs

American Archives Month: 9 Types of Photographs

Nebraska History Spotlight: Burt County Museum

Nebraska History Spotlight: Burt County Museum

About NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director Cindy Drake. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

NSHS Education

Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

Education Digital Learning Resources

Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

Nebraska Collections

NSHS's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

Support The Historical Society

Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.