Grand Old Flag, Grand Army of the Republic
Posted July 5, 2017 at 5:54 am by Tim Dustrude
Thaddeus Smith, William Cooper, George Dightman, John Blair, John Hankinson, George Smith, S.J. Craft, Levi Brann, Jake Hardin, John Smoots, and Joseph Tucker – SJI Historical Society photo
It’s time for the July edition of the history column from SJI Historical Society…
“You’re a high flying flag and forever in peace may you wave.”
July in America brings out the patriotic flags and banners — and the islands are no exception. The San Juan Historical Society and Museum archive has many images with stars and stripes through the ages.
This particular circa 1908 photo is iconic in that it documents a gathering of a most distinguished group of island men. These are the men of the G.A.R. – the Grand Army of the Republic, the original veterans group formed in 1866 after the Civil War.
We are fortunate to know the names of these local members of the G.A.R. Silas Casey Post #74, photographed at the Valley Church on Madden Lane. In addition to the veterans’ names written on the back of the original photograph, we also know from notation that the flag is a 45 star flag and may be the exact 45 star flag in the Historical Museum collection.
The Historical Museum is now open for the summer season. Come by and see more of our island’s history.
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