First meeting in my office – organized World War Veterans of American Post #2. Joe Reass had joined in New York City, Post No. 1.

Present: Tom Cummins, Joe Reass, George Houston, P.J. Mcginley, and Edmund Lee Jones.

Gen. Pershing Post #1, Washington, Washington, D.C. organized. No organization name given. There is now a George Washington Post #1, Washington, D.C., calling itself Pioneer Post of American Legion. Name changed after St. Louis Caucus, since it could not be named for any living person.

Paris Caucus organized American Legion.

During March, 1919, meeting held in Market Auditorium. Attendance probably 50. Later meeting in Circuit Court Room. Attendance probably 100.

Representative from Paris Caucus called a Caucus to be held in St. Louis, May 8-9-10, 1919.

Our post chose delegates to attend with authority to have our post included in whatever organization might be affected. When charters were being arranged, we insisted on and obtained in West Virginia Post No. 1. The charter was sent to one of our officers and had it signed by a number of persons who had no part in organizing the post, and filled in the blank left for the name as “Forst Henry Post No. 1.” At the first Department Convention held in Charleston YMCA, October 15-16, 1919, a number of those who had worked on organizing the post appeared and, after a hearing before committee which duly reported, the Convention restored the charter to the real founders and restored the name of Wheeling Post No. 1 instead of Fort Henry Post.

Gen. C. P. Summeral, Commander of First Division, visited us and was made a member of the post.

Gen. John J. Pershing visited Wheeling, Banquet Scottish Rite, 800 present, Mr. H. C. Ogden presided. Financed by many contributions. $8,000 balance left and given to post. Gen. Adelbert Cronheit, Commander of 80th division, also visited Wheeling.

Club rooms opened on second floor of Schenk Building, 1130 Wheeling.

Second Department Convention in Parkersburg. Elected Department Commander J. Byron Nickerson of Wheeling. Department Headquarters moved from Clarksburg to Wheeling and Bernard E. Kaiser was appointed Department Adjutant with offices in Market Auditorium, second floor.

300 Legionnaires acted as emergency police for a week. They sleep in police headquarters on the floor. Wheeling Electric Company furnished coffee and bologna sandwiches. They comandered boats. Outside Legion Posts shipped in over 200 tons of supplies and provisions which were distributed by the American Legion through rescue quarters established at different positions within the city, the main one being at the YMCA.

Post No. 1 host to Six Department Conventions, 21-33-40-46-49-62. The Post occupied the quarters in the Schenk building until 1926. Funds being then exhausted the quarters were moved to the third floor of the old Peoples Bank Building on the northwest corner of Twelfth and Main Street.

Later moved to the third floor of the Flat Iron Building at Sixteenth and Main Street. The quarters remained there until 1935 when they were removed to the second floor of the Old Odd Fellows Building at Twelfth and Chapline Streets.

In 1936, Wheeling Post No. 1, American Legion Home Corporation was organized and acquired a home at 737 Market Street.

1938 State Champions

Front row (L-R) Bill Linch, Kenny Mager, Bert Shelek, Jack Nau, and Bernie Garden

Second row (L-R) Russ Riggs, Jack Dalton, Carl Basnett, Bob Hull, and Bob Westfall

Third row (L-R) Gene Britt, Ray Thalman, Tom Mears, Brese Borkowski, Nicky Tuskey, and Walter Ray “Lefty” Hamilton (Head Coach)

In 1945, the H. F. Behrens American Legion Home Corporation was organized and acquired the presently owned property, due mostly to the generosity of Mrs. H. Fred Behran.

Subsequently, title to the property was transferred to another more recently organized American Legion Home Corporation, by which it is now owned and operated.

The property at 737 Market Street was sold to the Foundation for the Blind which was organized by Legionnaires and one-half of the purchase price was returned to the Foundation for the Blind as a contribution. All of the funds that financed the Foundation for the Blind were raised by a campaign conducted by the members of the Post. Since that time, the conduct of the Foundation for the Blind has been continued by a Board of Trustees, including numerous members of the Post.

1947 Ohio Valley Legion League Champions

Front row (L-R) Tom Beckett (State Athletic Officer), Robert “Slugger” Loew, Chas Schnupp, Walt Whitman, Jack Korn (bat boy), George Teagarden, Jim Brandfass, Bill Hannah, and C. Boring (1st District Chairman)

Back row (L-R) George Morrison (Post Athletic Officer), Tom Naegele, Rich Kinder, Jim Foose, Don Nau, Jim Greene (Captain), Red Peterson, Eddie Levak, and Eddie Runco (Head Coach)

1948 State Runner-Up Team

Front row (L-R) George Gongola, B. Behrens, T. Templin, B. Howard, Robert “Slugger” Loew, George Teagarden (Captain), and Bill Hannah

Back row (L-R) Bill Engle (Business Manager), Robert Westfall, J. Morgan, P. Moore, C. Jaworske, B. Jones, L. Smith, and Eddie Runco (Head Coach)

1949 Team - Area, State, Regional and Sectional Champions - 3rd Place National Finalist in the National Finals held at Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, Nebraska

Front row (L-R) Steve Leshuk, Triadelphia, Robert “Sleepy” Schaub, Triadelphia, Thomas “Little Tommy” Manion, Wheeling Central, Norman Nelson, McKinley Vocational, Carl Norman, Triadelphia, Robert “Slugger” Loew, Team Captain, Richard “Dick” Westfall, Wheeling, George Gongola, Wheeling Central, Bat Boy (Coach Korn’s son)

Back row (L-R) Herb Korn (Coach), George Westfall (Dick’s father), Harry Sweeney, Triadelphia, Frank Eaton, Triadelphia, Bob Kupchak, Wheeling, Chuck Jaworski, Wheeling Central, Constantine “Dino” Hadjis, Wheeling, Elmville “Mel” Eaton, Triadelphia, Gerald “Gerry” Smith, Madison Jr. High, Bob Korn, Triadelphia and Eddie Runco (Coach)

In 1960, the funds remaining in the treasury of the original Home Corporation were matched by the present Home Corporation and a trust fund was created therefrom with the Security Trust Company, (now Security National Bank & Trust Company), as Trustee thereof, the income from which is paid annually to the present Home Corporation for the purpose of maintaining a Home for the Post.

During the Nineteen-Thirties, a number of Legionaires organized The American Legion Athletic Club, an independent Corporation. This corporation purchased the Fulton Ball Park and by its various activities, eventually completed payments therefor. Since its organization, the Athletic Club as its prime function has financed and still finances The American Legion Junior Baseball Team. For several years it maintained a bus to transport the team for out-of-town games. The bus was also used to transport boys to and from the West Virginia Boys state at Jacksons Mill.

Forty and Eight Voiture 562 was organized from the membership of Wheeling Post Number l in 1923, the initiation being conducted by a wrecking crew from Bellaire Post. For a number of years, the Forty and eight conducted professional wrestling matches and later amateur Golden Glove Boxing Contests which were all held in the Market Auditorium. 40 & 8 has continuously conducted Child Welfare work. The efforts of the Post and the Forty and Eight initiated the institution of Midget Baseball Leagues in the Wheeling Area. The expense of this effort was such that it could not be indefinitely continued, and the local Elks Lodge and other interested parties took over a large part of the operation of the Midget Leagues.

Our Auxiliary and 8 and 40, have greatly helped us in many of these activities and carried on outstanding programs of their own. Further with reference to the American Legion Athletic Club, which was originally organized for the sole purpose of backing and financing an American Legion Junior Baseball Team as an outstanding Legion Program. You are doubtlessly aware that a considerable majority of the major league players have come up from these teams throughout the country. It not only serves to develop sportsmanship but affords the boys participating an opportunity for a most lucrative occupation. The Athletic Club for many years experienced great difficulty in financing the baseball team. It was dependent upon income from rental of the ball park to a carnival and an occasional contribution, the total of which proved insufficient for the purpose and the community complained continually of the carnival.

In the fall of 1967 an excellent offer to purchase the ball part was received. The Board of Trustees was averse to disposing of the park because of its use by smaller children, no senior games being played there. After due consideration the Board decided that its first duty was the maintenance of the junior baseball team, and that it could be permanently accomplished by placing the entire proceeds of sale in a trust, the income from which would assure them of adequate funds for this purpose. Pursuant to the corporation\ charter obligations which included maintenance of a home for Post Nol, a minor portion of the sale was added to the existing trust fund for the maintenance of the Legion Home, and the remaining deposited in a trust for the benefit of the Athletic Club. Every cent received was so applied. A new ball field was obtained through the cooperation of Valley Camp Coal Company. Clark Porter has rendered outstanding service for the last 15 years and in new developments. As a result of his efforts we have the finest field in this area. It is so constructed as to conform to all specifications for professional fields. This enables the boys to train under the same conditions they may later face.