Oregon. State Defense Council. Lane County records

The Oregon State Defense Council of World War I was formed in April 1917. The Council ceased to function on January 1, 1919.

The Defense Council was re-created on June 1, 1941 by Executive Order of governor Charles A. Sprague. The Defense Council organized civilian services including salvage, rationing, public welfare, child care, recreation, and health services. The Defense Council also concerned itself with the fighting of forest fires and blackout and dimout testing.

In June 1942, the Defense Council changed its organizational structure to conform with the United States Office of Civilian Defense guidelines. Two major divisions, the Civilian Protection Division and the Civilian War Services Division, were organized.

The Civilian Protection Division consisted of several subdivisions including Emergency Food and Housing, Evacuation, Camouflage, Aircraft Warning Service, Lighting, Public Utilities, Sanitation, Decontamination, Shore Patrol, Civil Air Patrol, Emergency Medical Service, and the Forest Fire Fighter Service.

The Civilian War Services Division operated primarily as a liaison between federal bureaus and local defense councils. This Division helped counties organize civil defense service programs, set up volunteer bureaus, and establish Block Leader systems. The subdivision of the Civilian Protection Division included defense housing, salvage, consumer interests and rationing, agriculture and victory gardens, and health and welfare services. In July of 1942, the Information and Public Relations Division was formed. After 1943, the Defense Council's activities diminished rapidly and by 1945 the Defense Council ceased to exist.

[Source: Oregon State Archives]