838:
70:
238:
Reuben S. Hershey. Henry Ames, a post member and owner of a brickyard northeast of
Litchfield, donated the bricks to build the hall. Construction began in early 1885. The total cost was $ 5000. The hall was finished in the late fall and was dedicated on November 14, 1885. Shortly after the dedication, the members deeded the Memorial Hall, as they called it, to the Village of Litchfield with the condition that it be kept "as is" as a memorial to the Veterans of the Civil War and be opened to the public for reading. It became the first public library in Meeker County.
57:
77:
845:
298:. Many visitors come to do genealogical research in the museum. It has county plat books, records of obituaries, lists of cemetery markers and many old local newspapers. There are many artifacts from the pioneer days of the county, including an actual 1868 log cabin that is accessible. Upstairs is a replica of pioneer O. A. Jacobson's
241:
The city has kept the meeting room as it was at the last meeting. In that meeting room there are large portraits on the north wall of most of the original members and the same chairs that were used by them in 1885. At their first meeting, the members brought their own chairs from their homes to the
237:
The Post met in the old county courthouse, which was next to the Howard House hotel on Sibley Avenue. The hotel has since been torn down. A meeting hall was needed to accommodate the local membership, which had grown to one hundred and forty veterans. A suitable lot by
Central Park was bought from
257:
and made into lumber from which an altar, in the center of the room, and a gavel, which were both used during the meetings, were made. The altar is 32 ½ inches square and 36 inches high. It has a cushioned top covered with heavy leather. In the northwest corner of the meeting room is a miniature
233:
and the commander of two all-black heavy artillery regiments during the Civil War. Daggett, who was only five feet six inches in height and weighed nearly two hundred and fifty pounds, came to Meeker County in 1872 and was the editor of the
Litchfield Ledger, one of the earliest newspapers in the
261:
The Civil War cannons on the front lawn have been brought inside the Hall and displayed near the entrance. The entrance room, with a guest book, is a Civil War museum in its own right with tall glass showcases displaying rifles, uniforms, flags and other Civil War artifacts, such as munitions,
221:
who had served between April 12, 1861, and April 9, 1865. With a motto of "Fraternity, Charity and
Loyalty", the organization's purpose was to maintain fellowship for the men who fought to preserve the Union and to help handicapped veterans and the widows and orphans of veterans.
277:
was the last Meeker County veteran. He died on
February 10, 1936. He was an Indian scout. He and Vincent Coombs went to Acton after the Jones family's massacre to bury the bodies and pursue the Indians into Kandiyohi Woods. The last GAR member in the United States was
309:
The GAR Hall and the museum are open to the public
Tuesday through Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM. Admission is $ 3.00 and children 12 and under are free. Litchfield is located at the intersection of Highways 12 and 22, about sixty-five miles straight west of Minneapolis.
196:
The Meeker County
Historical Society Museum building was added to the rear of it in 1960, but the Hall was left exactly as it was when the "Boys of '61", as they called themselves, met there 75 years earlier in 1885.
577:
572:
802:
672:
632:
427:
933:
737:
687:
562:
502:
482:
422:
652:
637:
592:
527:
507:
452:
412:
368:
787:
757:
712:
667:
532:
517:
497:
457:
437:
968:
822:
817:
797:
762:
702:
657:
647:
627:
617:
547:
542:
487:
442:
407:
397:
242:
Hall. So all the chairs, now painted gray, are different from each other, but generally just ordinary kitchen table chairs. The original organ is also there along with other original furniture.
869:
859:
772:
742:
642:
492:
432:
402:
777:
727:
722:
697:
682:
602:
582:
472:
462:
447:
587:
827:
107:
677:
477:
467:
747:
807:
782:
717:
707:
612:
607:
512:
767:
597:
567:
557:
552:
537:
812:
792:
752:
732:
662:
622:
417:
522:
692:
361:
928:
943:
286:, who died in 1956. One member of Litchfield's GAR was unusual, at least for that very Scandinavian town. He was black and his name was Allison or Albert Van Spence.
381:
354:
69:
226:
210:
205:
After the Civil War, twenty-seven veterans from
Minnesota's Meeker County founded a chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic, a service organization begun in
938:
892:
887:
299:
274:
262:
medals and ribbons. The hall actually had many more artifacts but it was broken into several years ago and many of the Civil War rifles were taken.
923:
864:
270:
17:
213:. Meeker County's original organization was called the Edward Branham Post. The membership was limited to honorably discharged veterans of the
953:
963:
958:
897:
229:, the Post's ranking member and later a Grand Commander of the Minnesota GAR. He had been actively associated with abolitionist
948:
377:
303:
190:
43:
346:
178:
246:
230:
882:
254:
218:
902:
302:. The entire downtown of Litchfield, between Depot Street and Third Street, is listed on the
174:
95:
189:, it is one of four remaining GAR halls in Minnesota. On May 21, 1975, it was added to the
273:, who died in 1933, was the last Civil War veteran and GAR member to live in Litchfield.
8:
250:
326:
153:
283:
249:
cabin where five members of the Jones family became the first settlers killed in the
279:
76:
917:
182:
122:
109:
266:
376:
258:
model of the Jones cabin and it was also made from wood from that log.
214:
253:, previously called the Sioux Uprising. It was taken to a sawmill in
56:
934:
Clubhouses on the
National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
206:
969:
National
Register of Historic Places in Meeker County, Minnesota
341:
225:
A new Post was started in July 1883. It was named after
245:
In 1889 the Post was given an oak log from the actual
929:
Buildings and structures in Meeker County, Minnesota
944:
Grand Army of the Republic buildings and structures
888:
History of the National Register of Historic Places
327:Library of Congress list of GAR posts in Minnesota
289:
915:
18:Grand Army of the Republic Hall (disambiguation)
362:
294:The GAR Hall serves as the entrance to the
234:county. He died at the age of 39 in 1876.
939:Buildings and structures completed in 1885
369:
355:
55:
378:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
44:U.S. National Register of Historic Places
924:American Civil War museums in Minnesota
265:GAR members started the celebration of
916:
177:is one of many original and authentic
954:Military and war museums in Minnesota
350:
304:National Register of Historic Places
191:National Register of Historic Places
964:Museums in Meeker County, Minnesota
959:Minnesota in the American Civil War
13:
14:
980:
335:
843:
836:
171:Grand Army of the Republic Hall
75:
68:
296:Meeker County Historical Museum
290:Meeker County Historical Museum
34:Grand Army of the Republic Hall
320:
148:
1:
313:
217:, Navy, Marine Corps and the
187:Frank Daggett GAR Post No. 35
949:History museums in Minnesota
23:United States historic place
7:
865:National Historic Landmarks
342:GAR Hall Litchfield website
10:
985:
200:
179:Grand Army of the Republic
15:
878:
852:
834:
388:
251:Dakota Indian War of 1862
159:
147:NRHP reference
146:
138:
101:
89:
63:
54:
50:
41:
32:
28:
185:. Built in 1885 for the
870:Voyageurs National Park
181:halls remaining in the
883:Keeper of the Register
219:Revenue Cutter Service
903:Contributing property
175:Litchfield, Minnesota
123:45.12917°N 94.52639°W
96:Litchfield, Minnesota
36:Litchfield, Minnesota
227:Lt. Frank E. Daggett
211:Dr. B. F. Stephenson
16:For other uses, see
128:45.12917; -94.52639
119: /
93:370 N. Marshall St.
911:
910:
898:Historic district
588:Lake of the Woods
284:Duluth, Minnesota
167:
166:
976:
847:
846:
840:
839:
371:
364:
357:
348:
347:
329:
324:
300:Crow River Store
275:Albert H. DeLong
150:
134:
133:
131:
130:
129:
124:
120:
117:
116:
115:
112:
79:
78:
72:
59:
26:
25:
984:
983:
979:
978:
977:
975:
974:
973:
914:
913:
912:
907:
874:
848:
844:
842:
841:
837:
832:
828:Yellow Medicine
390:
384:
375:
338:
333:
332:
325:
321:
316:
292:
203:
127:
125:
121:
118:
113:
110:
108:
106:
105:
94:
85:
84:
83:
82:
81:
80:
46:
37:
35:
24:
21:
12:
11:
5:
982:
972:
971:
966:
961:
956:
951:
946:
941:
936:
931:
926:
909:
908:
906:
905:
900:
895:
893:Property types
890:
885:
879:
876:
875:
873:
872:
867:
862:
856:
854:
850:
849:
835:
833:
831:
830:
825:
820:
815:
810:
805:
800:
795:
790:
785:
780:
775:
770:
765:
760:
755:
750:
745:
740:
735:
730:
725:
720:
715:
710:
705:
700:
695:
690:
685:
680:
675:
670:
665:
660:
655:
650:
645:
640:
635:
630:
625:
620:
615:
610:
605:
600:
595:
590:
585:
580:
575:
570:
565:
560:
555:
550:
545:
540:
535:
530:
525:
520:
515:
510:
505:
500:
495:
490:
485:
480:
475:
470:
465:
460:
455:
450:
445:
440:
435:
430:
425:
420:
415:
410:
405:
400:
394:
392:
386:
385:
374:
373:
366:
359:
351:
345:
344:
337:
336:External links
334:
331:
330:
318:
317:
315:
312:
291:
288:
280:Albert Woolson
271:W. A. Olmstead
202:
199:
165:
164:
161:
157:
156:
151:
144:
143:
140:
136:
135:
103:
99:
98:
91:
87:
86:
74:
73:
67:
66:
65:
64:
61:
60:
52:
51:
48:
47:
42:
39:
38:
33:
30:
29:
22:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
981:
970:
967:
965:
962:
960:
957:
955:
952:
950:
947:
945:
942:
940:
937:
935:
932:
930:
927:
925:
922:
921:
919:
904:
901:
899:
896:
894:
891:
889:
886:
884:
881:
880:
877:
871:
868:
866:
863:
861:
858:
857:
855:
851:
829:
826:
824:
821:
819:
816:
814:
811:
809:
806:
804:
801:
799:
796:
794:
791:
789:
786:
784:
781:
779:
776:
774:
771:
769:
766:
764:
761:
759:
756:
754:
751:
749:
746:
744:
741:
739:
736:
734:
731:
729:
726:
724:
721:
719:
716:
714:
711:
709:
706:
704:
701:
699:
696:
694:
691:
689:
686:
684:
681:
679:
676:
674:
671:
669:
666:
664:
661:
659:
656:
654:
651:
649:
646:
644:
641:
639:
636:
634:
631:
629:
626:
624:
621:
619:
616:
614:
611:
609:
606:
604:
601:
599:
596:
594:
591:
589:
586:
584:
581:
579:
578:Lac qui Parle
576:
574:
571:
569:
566:
564:
561:
559:
556:
554:
551:
549:
546:
544:
541:
539:
536:
534:
531:
529:
526:
524:
521:
519:
516:
514:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
499:
496:
494:
491:
489:
486:
484:
481:
479:
476:
474:
471:
469:
466:
464:
461:
459:
456:
454:
451:
449:
446:
444:
441:
439:
436:
434:
431:
429:
426:
424:
421:
419:
416:
414:
411:
409:
406:
404:
401:
399:
396:
395:
393:
387:
383:
379:
372:
367:
365:
360:
358:
353:
352:
349:
343:
340:
339:
328:
323:
319:
311:
307:
305:
301:
297:
287:
285:
281:
276:
272:
268:
263:
259:
256:
252:
248:
243:
239:
235:
232:
228:
223:
220:
216:
212:
208:
198:
194:
192:
188:
184:
183:United States
180:
176:
172:
162:
160:Added to NRHP
158:
155:
152:
145:
141:
137:
132:
104:
100:
97:
92:
88:
71:
62:
58:
53:
49:
45:
40:
31:
27:
19:
322:
308:
295:
293:
267:Memorial Day
264:
260:
244:
240:
236:
224:
204:
195:
186:
170:
168:
163:May 21, 1975
853:Other lists
573:Koochiching
255:Forest City
209:in 1866 by
126: /
102:Coordinates
918:Categories
803:Washington
678:Pennington
673:Otter Tail
633:Mille Lacs
478:Cottonwood
468:Clearwater
428:Blue Earth
314:References
269:in 1868.
231:John Brown
215:Union Army
114:94°31′35″W
111:45°07′45″N
748:Sherburne
738:St. Louis
688:Pipestone
563:Kandiyohi
503:Faribault
483:Crow Wing
423:Big Stone
391:by county
382:Minnesota
808:Watonwan
783:Traverse
718:Renville
708:Red Lake
653:Nicollet
638:Morrison
613:Marshall
608:Mahnomen
593:Le Sueur
528:Hennepin
513:Freeborn
508:Fillmore
453:Chippewa
413:Beltrami
207:Illinois
154:75000995
90:Location
860:Bridges
788:Wabasha
768:Stevens
758:Stearns
713:Redwood
668:Olmsted
598:Lincoln
568:Kittson
558:Kanabec
553:Jackson
538:Hubbard
533:Houston
518:Goodhue
498:Douglas
458:Chisago
438:Carlton
282:, from
201:History
823:Wright
818:Winona
813:Wilkin
798:Waseca
793:Wadena
763:Steele
753:Sibley
733:Roseau
703:Ramsey
663:Norman
658:Nobles
648:Murray
628:Meeker
623:McLeod
618:Martin
548:Itasca
543:Isanti
488:Dakota
443:Carver
418:Benton
408:Becker
398:Aitkin
773:Swift
743:Scott
643:Mower
523:Grant
493:Dodge
433:Brown
403:Anoka
389:Lists
247:Acton
139:Built
778:Todd
728:Rock
723:Rice
698:Pope
693:Polk
683:Pine
603:Lyon
583:Lake
473:Cook
463:Clay
448:Cass
169:The
142:1885
380:in
173:in
149:No.
920::
306:.
193:.
370:e
363:t
356:v
20:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
