Lafayette County WI Archives History - Books .....American Legion Post 142 1976
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com November 1, 2007, 12:36 am

Book Title: A History Of Blanchardsville, Gem Of The Pecatonica

This is a postcard that was sent to all area veterans prior to the organization
of the first American Legion Post at Blanchardville:


    There will be a meeting of all honorably discharged soldiers, sailors and
marines in the rooms of the Blanchardville Booster Club at 8 o'clock P. M.,
Monday evening, February 2nd, 1920.

  The purpose of this meeting is to organize a local Post of the American
Legion. Come and help make the Blanchardville Post one of the best in the State.
This meeting is very important and your presence is requested.


Herbert Dobson Post No. 142 Organized

    On Monday evening, February 2, 1920, in the club rooms of the Booster Club,
the local post of the American Legion was organized. About fifty ex-soldiers and
sailors were present and much interest was shown.

    The meeting was called to order by Atty. T. J. Webb, who was appointed and
acted as a temporary chairman of the meeting. William Bollerud was appointed and
elected as temporary secretary. The election of permanent officers followed with
the following results: Post Commander, T. J. Webb; Vice Post Commander, Oren
Hendrickson; Post Adjutant, Ed Regez; Post Finance Officer, Ed Alfred, and Post
Historian, Garfield Johnson.

    The following were appointed by the Post Commander as a committee to find
suitable quarters for the legion: Randolph Amundson, L. S. Ryan, Will Dobson,
and Will Farmer.

    The Post Commander appointed Lloyd Hendrickson, chairman of the membership
committee with the privilege of choosing associates.

    The Post Commander requested that every member should be present at the next
meeting, February 16, at eight o'clock and to start campaigning for a membership
of 150 members. He said, "Talk the legion, boost the legion, and the membership
will grow." He closed with "Yours for the best Post in Southwestern Wisconsin."
T. J. Webb, Post Commander

    The Post was named in memory of Herbert Dobson, who was the first
Blanchardville area boy to lose his life in World War I. After World War II, the
name of the Post also included the name of Stanley Johnson, who was the first
casualty in that war and the title is now Dobson-Johnson Post No. 142.

    Present officers (1976) are Commander, Glenn Prestbroten; Vice Commander,
Bob Fiez; Adjutant, Walter Johnson; Finance, Carlton Chandler, and Historian,
Robert Watrud.

    Dobson-Johnson Legion Post No. 142 met in several buildings before acquiring
a building owned by Madison Produce-Duckwitz Bros, which had been occupied by
Christenson Produce of Darlington. On January 26, 1971, the Legion Building was
gutted by fire, destroying the charters, pictures of fallen servicemen and other
priceless documents. It had been a Legion Hall for about twenty years.

    The Park Garage was purchased by the Dobson-Johnson Post from Orville
Severson. The brick building was torn down during the summer and the new frame
building was erected by volunteer labor and was dedicated November 11, 1971.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from

A History of Blanchardville, Gem of the Pecatonica

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wi/lafayette/history/1976/ahistory/american144gms.txt

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