During World War II, Americans across society supported the war effort with generosity despite the recent Great Depression. As thousands of troops moved across the country for training and deployment, many troop trains passed through Streator's Santa Fe Depot in Illinois. Local citizens organized the trackside Streator Free Canteen to provide free fresh food and drink to service people when their trains stopped there. Open from November 28, 1943 to May 29, 1946, the Streator Free Canteen served more than one and a half million service people in less than three years using donated food, equipment, and time.