Throughout the war, the women of Cedar Falls did what they could to help the townsmen who were away fighting. The women of nearby Waterloo were also involved.

The good and true women of Waterloo, almost at a moment's warning . . . made havelocks for each member of the company that went from this place, and within 24 hours of notice of their wants, a capacious box was filled to the brim with havelocks and a thousand little delicacies conducive to the health and comfort of the soldiers. (15)

The same efforts were made by the women of Cedar Falls.

Nearly 60 women gathered in the Horticultural Room of Overman Hall to begin the work of making uniforms for their men. The uniforms were to be grey wool trousers and navy blue cotton shirts . . . They cut the woolen cloth into pants, belts, and caps. The women went even further and supplied shoes, socks, and underclothing for the men. (16)

    These initial efforts at clothing and supplying the soldiers were only the beginning. The local women would play a large part in supporting the soldiers for the entire war.

In 1863, the Cedar Falls Gazette reported on a "Potato Planting Bee."

There were a dozen men and close to 30 women at the planting bee. The men dug the rows, and the women followed behind, dropping potato cuttings in the furrows A similar festival was held in July when the patch needed weeding . . . The harvest of the ‘taters’ came in mid-October, a time when farmers had their heaviest work schedule; only four men showed up to dig. The women took their spades and went to work, and by nightfall they had the potatoes dug up and piled nearby. The society was able to send 60 bushels of potatoes to the Iowa Sanitary Commission and still keep 40 more bushels for the needs of soldiers' families during the winter. (17)

    In August of 1862 the Young Ladies Soldiers' Aid Society "resolved to go immediately and energetically at the work of preparing hospital stores, so that at any time the call for help is made they maybe prepared to do their fill share in relieving the wants of our sick and wounded soldiers." (18) It was not just the women in town who were willing to help in the war effort. The Cedar Falls Gazette refers to

A box for the Soldiers -- Mr. L.D. Tracy shipped last Friday morning a box of necessities and luxuries for the soldiers at Pacific City, Mo., . . who call home at and around New Hartford. The contents were contributed by friends of the soldiers, and the articles were valued at $50.00. It was consigned to Lieut. W.H. McClure. (19)

    Another article in the Gazette urged people from Cedar Falls to write to the soldiers in the field. "We know that there is nothing a soldier prizes so highly as a letter, and yet nothing gives more happiness to the absent loved one." (20) Throughout the war there is evidence that the people of Cedar Falls did what they could to help the soldiers and by doing so possibly brought the war to a quicker conclusion.