Quick Summary
The Meeker County Historical Society joins the Minnesota Digital Library with a collection of photographs and documents about the Grand Army of the Republic post in Litchfield.
Created in 1866, the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) was a national fraternal organization for Union veterans of the Civil War. Like many similar organizations of the time, the G.A.R. provided both socialization and support for veterans, widows, and orphans. It also became a powerful political advocacy group, especially in relation to veteransā€™ pensions.
Local communities formed their own posts to hold meetings and plan activities. Meeker County veterans named their post in honor of local veteran Frank Daggett, who had strongly advocated for the formation of such a post. The Frank Daggett G.A.R. Post No. 35 held encampments, organized a drum corps, and participated in Decoration Day (later Memorial Day) events. They also built the G.A.R. Hall in Litchfield in 1885, which is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Meeker County Historical Society holds records for the Frank Daggett Post and they recently worked with the Minnesota Digital Library (MDL) to digitize and add these records to MDLā€™s online collections. The records include photographs of the G.A.R. Hall, members of the post, encampment activities, and parades, as well as three handwritten books full of meeting minutes and the names of G.A.R. members.
MDL staff are pleased to welcome the Meeker County Historical Society as one of our newest contributing organizations! Learn more about the society and access their collection in MDL today!
Image credit: Grand Army of the Republic Hall, Litchfield, Minnesota: https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog/p16022coll698:684
