Geneva Legion Post 75 to share stories of 100 years

GENEVA – Stories from 100 years of the American Legion Post 75 in Geneva will be presented noon to 1 p.m. May 14 at the post, 22 S. Second St., Geneva, officials announced in a news release.

The shared stories of A Century of Service are part of the Geneva History Museum’s Brown Bag Program.

The post was chartered in August 1919.

The large slabs at West Side Cemetery’s driveway circle were installed and dedicated by the Legion on May 30, 1928. These two stones, weighing approximately five tons, were quarried in Batavia in the 1850s and brought to Geneva’s fair grounds at the corner of West State and Kaneville Road.

They were often used to test the strength of farm horses and used as a speakers platform.

In 1861, Company H, 15th Calvary and 52nd Infantry Illinois Volunteers used the stones as an enlistment location.

As the fairground property was being developed, the legion’s members rescued the stones and adopted them as memorial monuments due to their civil war history.

The legion bought a cemetery plot near where Memorial Day services are usually held and placed the stones there along with a commemorative bronze plaque.

Reservations are $5 per person, $3 for members and free for Settler Donors online at genevahistorymuseum.org or by calling 630-232-4951.