When we think of veterans organizations. we generally think of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), but they were not the first veterans organizations in the USA. That honor would fall, at least in this part of the country, to the Grand Army Republic (GAR).
The GAR was formed in Illinois on April 6, 1866. The organization had three primary objectives at its inception: Fraternity, charity and loyalty. Each of which was fulfilled as the Union soldiers who had served in the Civil War returned home.
The organization grew in leaps and bounds, and by 1890 the society had grown to over 400,000 members. The main legacy of the GAR was the formation of what we now know and celebrate as Memorial Day. At its very beginning, way back in 1868, the 30th of May was designated as the day that members of the GAR would lay flowers on the graves of their fallen comrades and the next year was formally adopted as Decoration Day.
A little closer to home in Somersworth, you will find the old GAR building situated at the corners of Highland and High streets. The Somersworth branch of the GAR was known as Post No. 8 and was named after Capt. Joshua F Littlefield who died in 1862 from wounds received at 2nd Bull Run, Virginia. Interestingly enough, before the Civil War, Littlefield was a carpenter and was responsible for the building of many of the houses that still grace the hills of Somersworth today. Post No. 8 was officially organized in Somersworth in March of 1868.
It would not be until 1889 that Post No. 8 would decide to build a building instead of erecting a monument to their fallen comrades. In November of that year, the cornerstone and foundations of the building were laid and the building would be completed in the spring of 1890 at the cost of $10,000.
For many years the building would be the home of the GAR, but it was much more than that. It would slowly become the home of many other fraternal organizations in the city. These would include the Somersworth Women’s Club, which in 1913 would petition to be able to add a reading room within the building. The Liberanus Lodge No. 49, otherwise known as the Free Masons would have their Masonic Temple there for many years and the building was for many, many years, the hub of the community.
The GAR itself would be disbanded as an organization in 1956 and the GAR building here in Somersworth was remodeled and would become an office space downstairs with apartments upstairs. Most recently, the building was sold and converted into all apartments. Before the building was sold, Frank Kennedy Jr. from the Summersworth Historical Society would be granted one final look around the building and thank goodness he did. It was in a cupboard within a cupboard in the basement that he would discover the original plaques that had adorned the walls of the GAR building and detailed all of those who served in the Civil War from Somersworth who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Those plaques are now on view at the Summersworth Historical Museum on Main Street.
This year, as in years past, if you visit any of the city’s five cemeteries, you will see the flags that adorn each of the veterans’ graves. This is achieved thanks to the hard work of the Somersworth Scouts, the American Legion and VFW as a way to honor those who have served.
This year, there will be no Memorial Parade in Somersworth but there will be a small service held at the Somersworth Veterans Memorial on Main Street beginning at 11.15 a.m. The Summersworth Historical Museum will also be open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. that day and is adjacent to the Veterans’ Memorial at 157 Main St.
Now you may have heard that the old Kia showroom up on Route 108 is undergoing a serious facelift and has seen some new life, and you would be right. As we get ready to welcome summer, many of us have engines both large and small, lawn mowers and everything in between that needs a tune-up. This is where Patriot Tractor, Truck and Equipment LLC, a locally veteran-owned company can help.
They opened at the beginning of this month in the old Kia space and are offering some fantastic offers in commemoration of Memorial Day. These include free oil changes and state inspections for life to Gold Star families, Purple Heart recipients, veterans that are severely injured or ill as a result of military service and are rated permanently and totally disabled or individually unemployable by the Veterans Administration. In addition, they are offering the same discounts to police, fire and first-line medical responders who have been severely injured, disabled or killed in the line of duty. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Jon and Jim Hanson for their own service, and wish them every success in their new venture. You can discover more by visiting their website at https://patriottractorservice.com/
That’s all I have this week, so until next week if you see a veteran, please don’t forget to thank them for their service. I hope you have a happy, safe and fun Memorial weekend as we say hello to summer in Somersworth.