Stewart P. Morrill American Legion Post 35
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The American Legion is a Veteran organized and operated organization founded on 15 March 1919 to help veterans as they returned from WWI.
Stewart P. Morrill American Legion Post 35 was organized as a small group of Veterans on August 9th 1919 and was officially recognized at a Post on 11/11/1919 the 1st Anniversary of what was called Armistice Day at that time.
The Post was named after Stewart P. Morrill a young man who went off to fight in WWI but died as an effect of disease at Ft. Oglethorpe Ga. where he was a candidate in Officers Training. As the first member of the armed forces to die in WWI from South Portland the Post was named after him. Very little is known about Stewart except what was written in the Adjutant’s log at that time.
The main requirement to join and therefore form a Post was to organize 15 veterans together. So a group of men got together and set up a plan and start to work one step at a time. First item was to elect temporary officers and James C. Oliver was elected chairman and Albert G. Brooks was elected Secretary/Treasurer. Secondly was to find a name for the Post, which was selected to be Stewart P. Morrill Post 35 and then find 15 veterans. One afternoon outside Rich’s Store in Ferry Village Oliver and Brooks signed up the first 15 veterans they came across to meet the requirements of a Post. A meeting place was next on the list and the Moose Hall at 413 Broadway was available. The records are a little fuzzy at this time and the American Legion rented space on “E” street in Knightville, as well as, at City Hall. After trying to renovate the “E” street property the Post moved back to 413 Broadway and in 1936 they purchased the building from the Loyal Order of Moose.
Stewart P. Morrill is one of a few organizations that are incorporated in the State of Maine and recently0% was awarded a 100 year Certificate from the Secretary of State in Augusta from Secretary of State Matt Dunlap.
We will continue to update this History of the Post not only as an informational item but as a project to continue cataloging the information gleaned from 100 years of old logbooks and adjutant records of our meetings.
Michael R. Pock - Adjutant.