Sometime back, I submitted a query concerning when the city took possession of Memorial Hall from the American Legion.

I just found the following quote from http://memorialhall.chaotic-viper.com/history.html: “As the veterans passed on from the Civil War a new veterans organization was formed in 1919 and took over the building. That group was The American Legion Post # 59. They maintained the building and kept true to her origins from 1919 until 1955.

“Then they lost their charter from the state. Their [sic] was a little known clause in the deeds of the property, a reverter clause. This clause gave the City of Ironton the ability to care for and control the building if veteran activity ceased to exist in the building.”

However, I just found an article by Don Mayne (Dawn Patrol), former Tribune reporter and editor, dated Feb. 17, 1993, titled “1935 featured bustling city businesses.”

In this article, Mr. Mayne says, “In the Grand Army of the Republic building (Memorial Hall) the police department operated with Chief Denia Callahan; desk sergeant was James Curtis Urick and Edward Adams served as night desk sergeant.”

Mr. Mayne’s comment illustrates that city hall occupied the memorial building in 1935.

No skin off my back, but I would hope the American Legion would research this item more thoroughly and provide a more accurate history.

How can we be sure the city forced them out of the building, if the rest of the information appears to be bogus?

Carl Adkins

Plattsmouth, Neb.