The Vidette-Messenger Centennial EditionThe 1936 special edition celebrating Porter County's centennial year . . . .
The following article has been transcribed from the August 18, 1936, issue of The Vidette-Messenger, published in Valparaiso, Indiana. This particular special edition focuses on Porter County's centennial celebration and contains a 94-page compendium of Porter County history up to that time.
Return to the index of articles from The Vidette-Messenger's Porter County Centennial special edition.
Source: The Vidette-Messenger, Valparaiso,
Porter County, Indiana; August 18, 1936; Volume 10, Section 3, Page 12.
CHARLES PRATT POST HAS HAD SEVENTEEN COMMANDERS
Named In Honor of War Hero; One of Most Active Organizations In County
Prominent
among the civic organizations of Valparaiso, and taking a leading part in the
activities of the patriotic groups of the city, is Charles Pratt Post, No. 94,
American Legion, of Valparaiso.
Following the return of the majority of Valparaiso veterans from the World war,
there came an agitation to retain the benefits of their association together and
to continue their service to the nation.
A local group met at the Valparaiso public library building, and with it began
the history of the post, with T. P. Galvin, former Valparaiso attorney, now of
Hammond, as the first commander, and H. Carroll Schneider as adjutant.
Charter members of the post when the charter was granted on Oct. 2, 1919, were:
Arthur Byron Smith, William V. Wilson, Reginald L. Felton, Kenneth J. Wolf, Gust
Long, Earl V. Smith, Ora L. McNiece, Claude Beach, Dr. H. E. Gowland, Ralph
Wilson, Floyd Sieb, Harry H. Hayes, W. E. Harris, L. C. Benham and H. C.
Schneider.
Credit for getting the members' signatures is given to Byron Smith and W. E.
Harris, now with the U. S. Army in California.
Commanders of Charles Pratt Post, No. 94, are: T. P. Galvin, 1920; O. F. Helvie,
1921; Byron Smith, 1922; Claude Beach, 1923; Louis O. Benham, 1924; Harvey C.
Varner, 1925; Charles H. Gilliland, 1926; Achie Evans, 1927; M. B. Fyfe, 1929;
Justin O. Shauer, 1930; G. D. Conover, 1931; Ezra Stoner, 1932; R. C. Shurr,
1933; Frank Ferguson, 1934; Herman O. Seipel, 1935; T. O. Dillon, 1936.
Membership in the post has varied from the fifteen charter members in 1919 to
350 in 1921, when many of the D. A. V. members attending Valparaiso university
were affiliated with the organization. At the present time the membership is
220.
Charles Pratt Post has had six meeting places within its history. They were the
Valparaiso public library; Armory hall; Knights of Pythias hall, the Lowenstine
building on Franklin avenue, rooms over the Windle grocery, and the present
location in the Henry building on East Lincolnway.
The local post was named after Charles Augustus Pratt, a Valparaiso man, who was
killed in action in France, on November 3, 1918, eight hours before the
Armistice was signed. A sergeant, first class, of Company A, 9th Infantry,
Second Division, he took part in the battles of Verdun, Marne, Soissons, Toul,
St. Mihiel, Mount Blane Ridge and Argonne Forest.
He was awarded the Croix de Guerre with two silver stars (France), and was cited
for distinguished service performed at Soissons when in charge of a platoon of
his company he showed great heroism and devotion to duty, and his gallantry in
leading the platoon through shell and machine gun fire was a stimulus and
incentive to his men.
Sergeant Pratt was a member of old Company L, of Valparaiso, and served on the
Mexican border with the company in 1916. He enlisted on March 26, 1916, and was
assigned to their regular army. He is buried in Meuse-Argonne American cemetery,
Romangne-Sousmont Faucon, France, grave 17, row 8, block C.
Among some of the past activities of Charles Pratt Post have been; soliciting
part time jobs for unemployed; securing gardens, projecting Fourth of July
celebrations; distributing flag day codes to all schools of the city; raising
funds for undernourished children; co-operating with Community Chest officials;
promoting indoor baseball contests.
The Legion has also been instrumental in providing flower boxes on Lincoln
Highway; promoting annual pet parades for the children; backing an immunization
program; co-operating with Presbyterian church officials in Washington
bi-centennial services; sponsoring Legion junior baseball games.
Other activities credited to the Legion are the staging of stage shows, such as
"Miss Bob White," "Nothing But the Truth," "Katcha Koo," and the ever popular
WLS Barn dance shows. The post also purchased 6,000 trees for planting, and was
responsible for the Donkey baseball game staged at Brown Field when ball players
played the game on donkeys.
Another outstanding achievement of Charles Pratt Post is the drum and bugle
corps established in 1928. With the aid of local business to corps was outfitted
with natty uniforms and gold helmets which present a showy appearance as the
corps moves down the street. The corps attended the national Legion convention
held at Louisville, Ky., in September, 1929.
A number of Legion conventions have been brought to Valparaiso through the post.
At these parleys prominent Legionnaires, including State Commanders Raymond
Springer, Ralph Gates and Dr. A. R. Killian, have been guests of the post. The
post also staged a Fathers and sons night in 1932 which proved a huge success.
Since its organization the post has extended financial aid to veterans in
distress and child welfare workers of the Legion have brought relief to many
families.
One of the proud accomplishments of the local post is the Sons of the Legion
post which was organized early this year with eighty-six members.
Article transcribed by Steven R. Shook