On April 6, 1917, Congress declared war on Germany and the United States entered the First World War. Over 150,000 Californians served during the war and farmers of the Sacramento Valley stepped up agricultural production with new farming practices to provide food oversees for the war effort. Sacramento played a pivotal role during the war as aviation became a key component in warfare. Many combat units were trained at Mather Field, which was established in February 1918. The first aircraft, a Curtiss JN-4 called a “Jennie” piloted by Lieutenant John F. Buffington, took off from Mather Field, as part of its aviation school, on June 11, 1918. In addition to the establishment of Mather Field, Sacramento played a role in the production of airplanes for warfare. The Liberty Iron Works, formerly known as the Globe Iron Works, on Del Paso Boulevard was awarded an 18 million dollar government contract to build Curtiss airplanes. In 1918, city lots within a block of the iron works were adve...