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Following World War I, local veterans of Hallettsville created the Hudgeons Post 230 in 1920. They wanted to serve fellow veterans and the community through an American Legion Post. The branch was named Hudgeons Post in honor of Mr. And Mrs. Eli Hudgeons who lived in Hallettsville and both died during WWI. Thomas Eli Hudgeons registered for the draft in 1917 at age 19 and married Margaret Singleton just two weeks before his departure for France. Thomas died on February 5, 1918 when the transport ship, Tuscania, was torpedoed by a German submarine. Margaret Hudgeons died January 24, 1919, of pneumonia while she was a Red Cross nurse in San Antonio. The Hudgeons Post 230 was open for membership to all who served between 1917 and 1918 in the U.S. Army, navy, or marine corps. The dues were 50 cents per year. The post rented three rooms in the J.H. Appelt Building above the post office in Hallettsville. In 1958, the city leased the Recreation Hall, built by the National Youth Administration during the Great Depression, to the post and, in 1963, the Post purchased the Recreation Hall. In 1965, the hall burned down, along with the Post records. The current American Legion Hall was built in 1965 following the fire. The Hudgeons Post continues to improve conditions for veterans and citizens of Lavaca County. They follow the four pillars of the American Legion: veterans, defense, Americanism and youth. The post has been very active in the community, providing scholarships and supplying finances to improve public spaces around the city. The post continues to thrive under their motto: in peace as in war - we serve. |
