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Grand Army of the Republic
Mission Statement
Our mission is to preserve, showcase and interpret the Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall, Post 20, and its artifacts. To celebrate the history of GAR, Post 20 through exhibits and programs.
History of Post 20
The Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall, Post 20 was built as a memorial for Civil War veterans. On both a national and local scale the GAR was active in pursuing benefits for veterans. The GAR founded soldiers' homes, worked to provide relief for widows and orphans, and lobbied for pension legislation. Membership was limited to honorably discharged veterans of the Union Army, Navy, Marine Corps or the Revenue Cutter Service who had served between 1861 and 1865.
Aurora Post 20 was completed in 1878 for the sum of $7,184.54 These funds had been raised over a period of 10 years by the Soldiers Monument Association and the Ladies Monument Association, a group that later became GAR Aurora, Post 20. The proud members of Post 20 were visionaries. The men had fought a long and bloody war for the abolition of slavery and preservation of the Union. Indeed, some had served in nearly every battle of that bloody conflict.
In the very heart of a thriving new community they built a monument that would honor their fallen comrades while creating a legacy for the future. The GAR Hall was a sanctuary. It served as a gathering place for men who had fought side by side on the battlefields, it was a shrine to the Union dead, and it was a place of scholarship-Aurora's first free library.
Grand Army of the Republic Memorial Hall Links:
Copyright
Sponsored by the City of Aurora, IL. All images are copyright Aurora Public Art Commission. Fair use of images consists of personal use, and use in an academic setting. For permissions for all other uses please contact Eric Pry.
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Grand Army of the Republic, Post 20
Physical Address
23 E Downer Place
Aurora, IL 60507
Mailing Address
44 E Downer Place
Aurora, IL 60507
Phone: 630-256-3400
Gallery Hours
The GAR Museum is open Saturdays, from noon to 4 p.m., throughout the summer, and from 6 to 9 p.m. on the first Friday of every month.
The hall is also open during the week, year-round, for private tour by appointment only, Contact Dee Hakala to set up an appointment, extension 3400.