The Grand Army of the Republic

Founded in Decatur, Illinois, on April 6, 1866, the Grand Army of the Republic (G. A. R.), was an American patriotic organization composed of Union veterans of the Civil War. The purpose of the G. A. R. was to bring together the men who had fought to save the republic; to commemorate those who had fallen in the war and take care of their dependents, and to provide for the practice of fraternity and mutual assistance among the veterans.

In 1868 the G. A. R. established the observance of Memorial Day in the northern states, and during the late nineteenth century, when its membership was greatest (more than 400,000 members), wielded considerable political power, particularly in its support of presidential candidates. At annual "encampments" members met to discuss matters of national interest.

The last official meeting was held in 1949, but the organization continued to exist until the death of its last member in 1956. The last Wisconsin member, Lansing A. Wilcox, died on September 30, 1951 in Chippewa county, at which time the Wisconsin department of the G. A. R. ceased to exist. Peter Felio, Portage County's last surviving Civil War veteran, died on July 6, 1936 at the age of 88. He is buried in the Meehan cemetery.

The Stevens Point post was No. 156; others in the area were Plover, No. 149; Amherst, No. 16; Blaine, No. 115; Iola, No. 99; Waupaca, No. 21; Plainfield, No. 197, and Grand (now Wisconsin) Rapids, No. 22.

The following is from the Stevens Point Daily Journal for May 7, 1904:

Heretofore the graves of the Civil War veterans who are buried in the city cemeteries have been marked with wooden stakes prepared for that purpose. Hereafter an iron marker of neat design will be placed at the head of each grave, so arranged that a flag can be placed in the marker each Memorial day. One hundred and fifty of these markers are being made at the Cook foundry. Part of the money to pay for them was raised by members of the Women's Relief corps and the balance was appropriated by the Grand Army post.

The Stevens Point G. A. R. post also took the lead in 1905 to have marble stones of the "Civil War" type engraved and erected for all county Civil War dead. (See the article on Military Markers, Plaques, and Awards.)