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96-554: The cornerstone for the United States Courthouse, originally known as Institute Hall, was laid in 1852. The president of the Natchez Board of Education stated at the cornerstone laying ceremony that it would "serve as a monument to the past showing what can be accomplished in a few years by willing hearts and ready hands. It will be a beacon in the future, calling for deeds to emulate the past". The building

192-593: A roller rink .) In 1901 the basement-level girls' classrooms were relocated to the new building of the Natchez Institute. That same year, a new concert hall opened in the city, and Opera Hall attracted few events. In 1921, the American Legion refashioned the building as a World War I monument, adding a proscenium stage and patriotic decor. In 1924, they added four bronze plaques with the names of World War I veterans and two descriptive plaques, and

288-759: A tentative constitution and selected the name "American Legion". The aftermath of two American wars in the second half of the 19th century had seen the formation of several ex-soldiers' organizations. Former Union Army soldiers of the American Civil War of 1861–65 established a fraternal organization, the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), while their Southern brethren formed the United Confederate Veterans (UCV). Both organizations emerged as powerful political entities, with

384-488: A "preparedness" society with a claimed membership of 35,000 that had been absorbed into the Council of National Defense in 1916. The Committee on Constitution reported with a report containing the draft of a Preamble for the organization, specifying organizational objectives. This document stated that the group: desiring to perpetuate the principles of Justice, Freedom, and Democracy for which we have fought, to inculcate

480-624: A 100 Percent Americanism; to preserve the memories and incidents of our association in the Great War; to inculcate a sense of individual obligation to the community, state, and nation; to combat the autocracy of both the classes and the masses; to make right the master of might; to promote peace and good will on earth; to safeguard and transmit to prosperity the principles of justice, freedom, and democracy; to consecrate and sanctify our comradeship by devotion to mutual helpfulness. The St. Louis Caucus spent much of its time discussing resolutions: whether

576-419: A blizzard of acceptances to attend the opening of the "Liberty League Caucus", as he had begun to call it, Temporary Secretary Eric Fisher Wood began to search for use of a room of sufficient size to contain the gathering. The Cirque de Paris had been retained, a large, multisided amphitheater that could accommodate about 2,000 people. Delegates began to assemble from all over France. The 10:00 am scheduled start

672-405: A cavity into which is placed a time capsule containing newspapers of the day or week of the ceremony plus other artifacts that are typical of the period of the construction: coins of the year may also be immured in the cavity or time capsule. A cornerstone ( Greek : Άκρογωνιεîς, Latin : Primarii Lapidis) will sometimes be referred to as a "foundation-stone", and is symbolic of Christ, whom

768-550: A convention in Paris began apace. Wood prepared a convention call and "invitations" were distributed to about 2,000 officers and enlisted men and publicized in the March 14, 1919 issue of Stars and Stripes . The convention call expressed the desire to form "one permanent nation-wide organization...composed of all parties, all creeds, and all ranks who wish to perpetuate the relationships formed while in military service." In addition to

864-474: A court to Natchez. Through a partnership involving federal, state, and local agencies working closely with Waggonner & Ball Architects, Memorial Hall was rehabilitated for use as a federal courthouse. In 2007, Natchez once again was the site of a federal court. More than 200 years earlier, it had a federal courthouse when it was the capital of the Mississippi Territory . On March 14, 2010,

960-669: A cross has been carved. Below the cross, the following words are inscribed: In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, this church is founded, in honour and memory of ( here the name of the patron saint of the new church is inserted ); in the rule of ( here the name of the ruler is inserted ); in the episcopacy of ( here the name of the bishop is inserted ); in the Year of

1056-536: A dozen potential names, including Veterans of the Great War, Liberty League, American Comrades of the Great War, Legion of the Great War, and The American Legion, among others. This list was whittled down to five ranked choices for the consideration of the Caucus, with "The American Legion" the preferred option. It was noted in passing during the course of debate on the topic that Roosevelt had been responsible for an earlier organization called "The American Legion" in 1914,

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1152-617: A federal roster shows that 581 black men entered the U.S. Army from Adams County between 1917 and 1918, and approximately 200 of the veterans returned to Adams County after the war, yet none is listed on the courthouse plaques. Peterson contacted Ser Seshs Ab Heter-C.M. Boxley, a local activist and coordinator of the Friends of the Forks of the Road , for help in getting the names added. Boxley suggested that new memorial plaques were needed to correct

1248-528: A group of 20 non-career officers to report to the YMCA in Paris on February 15, 1919. Roosevelt had personally selected these men. They were joined by a number of regular Army officers Pershing selected. Twenty National Guard and Reserve officers serving in the A. E. F., representing the S. O. S. , ten infantry divisions, and several other organizations, were ordered to report in Paris. ... Included in this number were Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., of

1344-432: A longer rope was substituted, and Everest was pushed off the bridge again. The lynch mob then shined their car headlights on the hanging Everest and shot him. Although a mob milled around the jail all night, terrorizing the occupants, no further acts of extra-legal retribution were taken. Everest's body was cut down the next morning, falling into the riverbed below, where it remained all day. As night fell, Everest's body

1440-472: A new church may commence, and any clergyman who ventures to do so without a blessing can be deposed . The "Rite of the Foundation of a Church" (i.e., the laying of the cornerstone) will differ slightly depending on whether the church is to be constructed of wood or of stone. Even when a church is built of wood, the cornerstone must in fact be made of stone. The cornerstone is a solid stone cube upon which

1536-556: A nineteenth-century Greek Revival auditorium. It was designed by the noted English-born Kentucky architect Thomas Lewinski , while he worked as supervisor of the construction of a nearby Marine Hospital. The Greek Revival style building resembles Lewinski's work in Kentucky more so than the Greek Revival mansions of Natchez. The courthouse is rectangular in plan with two stories and a gabled roof. A primary Greek Revival feature

1632-427: A pair of wood doors adorned with upper panel patterning of octagonal openings is present at the foyer's rear wall. They are set within a wide wood surround with a peaked lintel containing a federal-style eagle motif in the center. The doors lead into a corridor that continues the length of the building, with offices located off of either side of it. Within the foyer are symmetrically placed matching staircases that lead to

1728-522: A parade of Legionnaires took place in the mill town of Centralia , in southwestern Washington . Some of the marchers planned at the conclusion of their patriotic demonstration to storm and ransack the local hall maintained by the Industrial Workers of the World , a labor union founded 14 years earlier at a convention of socialists, anarchists, Marxists, and radical trade unionists from all over

1824-526: A petition from 20 of the enlisted women of the U.S. Naval Reserve Force for a charter to organize a post to be known as "Betsy Ross Post No. l", composed entirely of Yeomen (F) of the U.S. Navy. In October of that year, the post changed its name to U.S.S. Jacob Jones, which commemorated the members' Navy heritage. Congress granted The American Legion a national charter in September 1919. The American Legion chartered Paris Post No. 1 on December 13, 1919. It

1920-410: A presidential nominating convention—"We Want Teddy! We Want Teddy!" A minor crisis followed when Roosevelt twice declined nomination for permanent chairman of the session, to the consternation of many overwrought delegates, who sought to emphasize the symbolism of President Roosevelt's son maintaining the closest of connections with the organization. The St. Louis Caucus's work was largely shaped by

2016-539: A program for the unnamed veterans organization. Instead, they chose to expand their number with a large preliminary meeting, to consist of an equal number of elected delegates to represent both enlisted men and commissioned officers. A provisional executive committee of four men emerged from the February 15 "Roosevelt dinner": Roosevelt in the first place, who was to return to the U.S. and obtain his military discharge when able, and then to gather assistants and promote

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2112-514: A special prayer. Finally, Veni Creator Spiritus is sung, and two short prayers. Then the bishop, if he deems it opportune, sits down and exhorts the people to contribute to the construction, appointments and maintenance of the new church, after which he dismisses them with his blessing and the proclamation of an indulgence . In the Eastern Orthodox Church the blessing of the bishop must be obtained before construction on

2208-556: A stand should be taken on the League of Nations , Prohibition , or the implementation of universal military service ; whether posts composed of Negro soldiers should be established; and whether Secretary of War Newton D. Baker should be impeached for his apparent leniency toward conscientious objectors in the months after the war. A particularly hard line was taken toward the American radical movement, with one resolution passed on

2304-550: A whistle giving the signal to the Legionnaires to charge the IWW headquarters building. A group of marchers rushed the hall, smashing the front plate-glass window and attempting to kick the door in. As the door gave way, shots were fired at the intruders from within. This provided the signal to other armed IWW members, who were stationed across the street, to set up crossfire against potential invaders, and they also began firing on

2400-430: Is a recently added room within the larger pre-existing space. To give visitors a sense of the original width of the room and allow light to penetrate the courtroom, above eye level, wood louvers and glass panels top the partitions. A turned spindle wood balustrade, for a former balcony at the room's rear wall, is retained. [REDACTED]  This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of

2496-646: Is active in issue-oriented U.S. politics. Its primary political activity is lobbying on behalf of veterans and service members , including for benefits such as pensions and the Veterans Health Administration . The American Legion was established in Paris, France, on March 15 to 17, 1919, by a thousand commissioned officers and enlisted men, delegates from all the units of the American Expeditionary Forces to an organization caucus meeting, which adopted

2592-433: Is believed that the man will die within the year. The Roumanians of Transylvania think that he whose shadow is thus immured will die within forty days; so persons passing by a building which is in course of erection may hear a warning cry, Beware lest they take thy shadow! Not long ago there were still shadow-traders whose business it was to provide architects with the shadows necessary for securing their walls. In these cases

2688-439: Is its symmetrical, three-bay facade, classically detailed with a centered, single bay engaged portico flanked by recessed side bays. The engaged portico features paired pilasters supporting a triple banded architrave , a wide frieze , a molded cornice , and a pediment . A molded panel parapet surmounts the facade with paired piers that echo the arrangement of the pilasters below them. The wide frieze continues along either side of

2784-585: Is placed in the north-east corner of the Lodge as a figurative foundation stone. This is intended to signify the unity of the North associated with darkness and the East associated with light. Normally, a VIP of the organization, or a local celebrity or community leader , will be invited to conduct the ceremony of figuratively beginning the foundations of the building, with the person's name and official position and

2880-502: The AEF was pressing and immediate. With the war at an end, hundreds of thousands of impatient draftees found themselves trapped in France and pining for home, certain only that untold weeks or months lay ahead of them before their return would be logistically possible. Morale plummeted. Cautionary voices were raised about an apparent correlation between disaffected and discharged troops and

2976-519: The Apostle Paul referred to as the "head of the corner" and is the "Chief Cornerstone of the Church" ( Ephesians 2:20 ). A chief or head cornerstone is placed above two walls to keep them together and prevent the building from falling apart. Many of the more ancient churches will place relics of the saints , especially martyrs , in the foundation stone. According to the pre- Vatican II rite of

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3072-680: The Bolshevik uprisings in Russia , Finland , Germany , and Hungary . This situation was a particular matter of concern to Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt Jr. , President Theodore Roosevelt 's eldest son. One day in January 1919, he had a discussion at General Headquarters with the mobilized National Guard officer George A. White , a former newspaper editor at the Portland Oregonian . After long discussion, he suggested

3168-490: The First Division , Lieutenant Colonel Franklin D'Olier of the S.O.S., and Lieutenant Colonel Eric Fisher Wood of the 88th Division . All of these officers have since told me that when they left their divisions they were distinctively permeated with the desire to form a veterans' organization of some comprehensive kind. When they got to Paris they immediately went into conference with the other officers. ... A dinner

3264-501: The General Services Administration . Cornerstone A cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone ) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation . All other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure . Over time a cornerstone became a ceremonial masonry stone, or replica , set in a prominent location on

3360-667: The Litany of the Saints is said, followed by an antiphon and Psalm 126 ( Psalm 127 in the Hebrew numbering), which appropriately begins with the verse, "Unless the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it". Then the stone is lowered into its place with another prayer and again sprinkled with holy water. More antiphons and psalms follow, while the bishop sprinkles the foundations, dividing them into three sections and ending each with

3456-602: The Natchez Democrat reported that the names of more than 500 black servicemen from Adams County in World War I had been excluded from the memorial plaques, which were installed in 1924 during an extended period of state racial segregation, at what is now the US Courthouse. Shane Peterson, a student at California State University Northridge , had researched the issue and published a paper online; he found that

3552-486: The Roman Catholic Church : Before the construction of a new church begins, the foundations of the building are clearly marked out and a wooden cross is set up to indicate where the altar will stand. Once preparations have been made, the bishop —or a priest delegated by him for that purpose—will bless holy water and with it sprinkle first the cross that was erected and then the foundation stone itself. Upon

3648-430: The angry ghost may haunt the place and guard it against the intrusion of enemies. Ancient Japanese legends talk about Hitobashira (人柱, "human pillar"), in which maidens were buried alive at the base or near some constructions as a prayer to ensure the buildings against disasters or enemy attacks. Historically, Freemasons sometimes performed the public cornerstone laying ceremony for notable buildings. This ceremony

3744-649: The American Veterans of Foreign Service, known today as the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States (VFW). With the termination of hostilities in World War I in November 1918, some American officers who had participated in the conflict began to think about creating a similar organization for the two million men who had been on European duty. The need for an organization for former members of

3840-740: The GAR serving as a mainstay of the Republican Party , which controlled the presidency from the Civil War through William Howard Taft 's administration except during Grover Cleveland 's two terms in office. In Southern politics the UCV maintained an even more dominant position as a bulwark of the Democratic Party , which dominated there. The conclusion of the brief Spanish–American conflict of 1898 ushered in another soldiers' organization,

3936-564: The Legion included only four members—two Republicans and two Democrats. After 1920 the National Legislative Committee was expanded to consist of one member from each state, with additional effort made at the state level to exert pressure upon various state legislatures. Chief on the Legion's legislative agenda was a dramatic improvement of the level of compensation for soldiers who suffered permanent disability during

United States Courthouse (Natchez) - Misplaced Pages Continue

4032-535: The Legion's National Legislative Committee in conjunction with cables National Commander Franklin D'Olier sent to Congressional leaders helped pass this legislation by the end of 1919. The Legion's chief base of support during its first years was among the officers corps of the reserves and the National Guard . The regular army was comparatively small and its representation in the League in its earliest days

4128-453: The Legionnaires' death toll to four. Everest was taken alive, kicked and beaten, with a belt wrapped around his neck as he was dragged back to town to be lynched . But local police intervened, and Everest was taken to jail, where he was thrown down on the concrete floor. At 7:30 pm, on cue, all city lights in town went out for 15 minutes and Legionnaires stopped cars and forced them to turn out their headlights. The Elks Hall gathering entered

4224-489: The Legionnaires. In less than a minute the firing was over, with three AL members left dead or dying and others wounded. Taken by surprise by the armed defense of IWW headquarters, many Legionnaires rushed home to arm themselves, while others broke into local hardware stores to steal guns and ammunition. Now armed, a furious mob reassembled and charged the IWW Hall again, capturing six IWW members inside. The mob destroyed

4320-587: The U.S. was established in 1919. Branstetter was a Van Tassell resident who died in World War I. The structure housing the post has since been demolished. The site was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969. In 1969, it was hoped that an interpretative sign would be put up, and also possibly that a restored post building would be constructed. The first post of the Legion, General John Joseph Pershing Post Number 1 in Washington, DC,

4416-410: The U.S., which had been the target of multiple arrests, large trials, and various incidents of mob violence during the months of American participation in World War I. But the plans for this violence had reached union members (commonly called Wobblies), and 30 or 40 IWW members had been seen coming and going at their hall on the day of the march, some of them carrying guns. At 2 p.m. the march began at

4512-557: The World _____ ( Anno Mundi ), and from the Birth in the flesh of God the Word _____ ( Anno Domini ). In the top of the stone a cross-shaped space is hollowed out into which relics may be placed. Relics are not required, but they are normally placed in the cornerstone. If no relics are inserted in the stone, the inscription may be omitted, but not the cross. After the foundations for the new church have been dug and all preparations finished,

4608-399: The administration of such a policy should be removed from the complete control of any exclusively military organization or caste. 3. That we are strongly opposed to compulsory military service in time of peace. Additional resolutions the founding convention passed emphasized the need for military preparedness, albeit through a citizens' army of reservists and National Guardsmen rather than

4704-750: The bishop (or his deputy) with the other clergy vest and form a crucession to the building site. The service begins with a moleben and the blessing of holy water . Then a cross is erected in the place where the Holy Table (altar) will stand, and the cornerstone is consecrated and set in place. American Legion The American Legion , commonly known as the Legion , is an organization of U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis , Indiana. It comprises state , U.S. territory , and overseas departments, in turn made up of local posts. It

4800-399: The building's recent renovation. The front elevation on Pearl Street includes its original ornamental wrought iron fence and two decorative pole light fixtures, recreated based upon original documentation. Entranceways are present at each of the facade's three bays. The main entrance, located in the center bay, is composed of a pair of eight-paneled molded doors that open onto a foyer. Inside,

4896-425: The building, which is brick clad and has six window bays along its lower levels. The upper levels of the building contain larger wood windows. The second story above the main entrance contains a more elaborate double-height window with multi-light sidelights. The rear elevation has a central portico with pilasters rendered in brick. It has a modern stairwell addition enclosed in semi-opaque glass, constructed as part of

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4992-501: The city park, led by a marching band playing "Over There". Marchers included Boy Scouts , members of the local Elks Lodge , active-duty sailors, and marines, with about 80 members of the newly established Centralia and Chehalis posts bringing up the rear. As the parade turned onto Tower Avenue and crossed Second Street, it passed IWW Hall. The parade stopped and Legionnaires surrounded the hall. Parade Marshal Adrian Cormier rode up on horseback and, according to some witnesses, blew

5088-537: The constitution and the organization's publications done by committee at night. The preamble of the constitution adopted in St. Louis became one of the seminal statements of the Legion's orientation and objectives: For God and Country we associate ourselves together for the following purposes: To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States of America; to maintain law and order; to foster and perpetuate

5184-406: The consultant invited people to send any additions. Outreach has been conducted to such service groups as the American Legion , in order to solicit any additions. New plaques will be commissioned which will be complete. The original plaques will be moved inside to be part of an interpretive exhibit on Natchez in World War I and the roles played by all its veterans. The structure is a rare example of

5280-418: The costly and undemocratic structure of a vast standing army led by a professional military caste. This nationalist isolationism remained in place until the eve of American entry into World War II . November 11, 1919, the first anniversary of Armistice Day and the occasion of the Legion's formal launch at its Minneapolis Founding Convention, was also a historic moment of violence and controversy. On that day

5376-447: The date usually being recorded on the stone. This person is usually asked to place their hand on the stone or otherwise signify its laying. Often still, and certainly until the 1970s, most ceremonies involved the use of a specially manufactured and engraved trowel that had a formal use in laying mortar under the stone. Similarly, a special hammer was often used to ceremonially tap the stone into place. The foundation stone often has

5472-484: The dissemination of partisan principles or for the promotion of the candidacy of any person seeking public office or preferment; and no candidate for or incumbent of a salaried elective public office shall hold any office in The American Legion or in any branch or post thereof. One semi-official historian of the organization has noted the way that this explicit refusal to affiliate with a political party had

5568-509: The duty and obligation of the citizen to the State; to preserve the history and incidents of our participation in the war; and to cement the ties of comradeship formed in service, do propose to found and establish an Association for the furtherance of the foregoing purposes. The majority report of the Committee on Convention recommended that 11 am on November 11, 1919—one year to the hour after

5664-545: The end of the first day, the officers retired to the Inter-Allied Officers Club, a converted home across the street from the YMCA building. There, Roosevelt told them of his proposal for a new veterans' society. Most of those present were rapidly won to Roosevelt's plan. The officers decided to make all their actions provisional until an elected convention of delegates could convene and did not predetermine

5760-592: The exclusion related to the racial segregation of the Jim Crow era. Media covered the reaction of the new owner of the monument, the United States General Services Administration (GSA), which manages public buildings on behalf of federal courts and agencies. In April 2010, a GSA spokesman said the agency was working on correcting the exclusion. In November GSA hired a consultant to aid with research and public outreach on

5856-486: The final day calling on Congress to "pass a bill or immediately deporting every one of those Bolsheviks or Industrial Workers of the World ." Minneapolis, Minnesota , was chosen for the site of the organization's founding convention in November over the more centrally located Chicago after much acrimonious debate about the Chicago city administration's perceived political transgressions. The formal founding convention

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5952-697: The first pageant was held in Memorial Hall during the Natchez Pilgrimage, the nation's second oldest organized house tour. By the 1970s, the building was in a decaying condition. In 1987, the Historic Natchez Foundation, working with the city, purchased the dilapidated building, began emergency repairs, and waited for a preservation-supportive occupant. Changing US courts needs led the US District courts to relocate

6048-500: The fledgling organization's provisional Executive Committee decided to allow each state delegation twice as many votes as that state had in the United States House of Representatives and left it to each to determine how to apportion those votes. Participants at the St. Louis Caucus were enthusiastic, but the session was not productive. Fully two days were invested choosing ceremonial officers and selecting Minneapolis as

6144-658: The following prayer: 'May the Great Architect of the universe enable us as successfully to carry out and finish this work. May He protect the workmen from danger and accident, and long preserve the structure from decay; and may He grant us all our needed supply, the corn of nourishment, the wine of refreshment, and the oil of joy, Amen. So mote it be.' The choir and congregation then sang the Hundredth Psalm . The initiate (Entered Apprentice ) in Freemasonry

6240-410: The foundation-stone, under which the animal is afterwards buried. The object of the sacrifice is to give strength and stability to the building. But sometimes, instead of killing an animal, the builder entices a man to the foundation-stone, secretly measures his body, or a part of it, or his shadow, and buries the measure under the foundation-stone; or he lays the foundation-stone upon the man's shadow. It

6336-401: The fundamental decisions made by the earlier Paris Caucus. Its agenda was in addition carefully prepared by a 49-member "Advance Committee", which included at least one delegate from each fledgling state organization and drew up a draft program for the organization in advance of the convention's opening. As time before the scheduled start of the convention was short, delegation to the assembly

6432-422: The hall's front porch and a large bonfire was built, upon which were torched the local Wobblies' official records, books, newspapers and mattresses. One local Wobbly, Wesley Everest , escaped through a back door when he saw the mob approaching the hall. He fled into nearby woods, exchanging gunshots with his pursuers. One of those chasing him was hit in the chest several times with bullets and killed, increasing

6528-485: The idea of the new veterans' organization among demobilized troops there; White, who was to travel to France touring the AEF camps and explaining the idea; veteran wartime administrator Eric Fisher Wood, who was to establish a central office and maintain contact with the various combat divisions and headquarters staffs, as well as publicize activities to the press; and former Ohio Congressman Ralph D. Cole . Preparations for

6624-479: The immediate establishment of a new servicemen's organization including all AEF members as well as those soldiers who remained stateside as members of the Army , Navy , and Marine Corps during the war without having been shipped abroad. Roosevelt and White advocated ceaselessly for this proposal until they found sufficient support at headquarters to move forward with the plan. General John J. Pershing issued orders to

6720-479: The jail without meeting resistance and took Everest, dragging him away to a waiting car but leaving other incarcerated Wobblies untouched. A procession of six cars drove west to a railroad bridge across the Chehalis River . A rope was attached to Everest's neck and he was pushed off the bridge, but the lynching attempt was bungled and Everest's neck was not snapped by the fall. Everest was hauled up again,

6816-409: The measure of the shadow is looked on as equivalent to the shadow itself, and to bury it is to bury the life or soul of the man, who, deprived of it, must die. Thus the custom is a substitute for the old practice of immuring a living person in the walls, or crushing him under the foundation-stone of a new building, in order to give strength and durability to the structure, or more definitely in order that

6912-523: The occasion by John Hawkesworth, a silversmith and a jeweller. He then gave the stone three knocks with a mallet and declared the stone to be 'duly and truly laid'. The Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Munster poured offerings of corn, oil and wine over the stone after Bishop Gregg had declared it to be 'duly and truly laid'. The Provincial Grand Chaplain of the Masonic Order in Munster then read out

7008-413: The outside of a building, with an inscription on the stone indicating the construction dates of the building and the names of architect , builder , and other significant individuals. The rite of laying a cornerstone is an important cultural component of eastern architecture and metaphorically in sacred architecture generally. Some cornerstones include time capsules from, or engravings commemorating,

7104-457: The paradoxical effect of rapidly building great political power for the organization, as politicians from both of the "old parties" competed for the favor of the Legion's massive and active membership. One of the gathering's primary accomplishments was the establishment of a permanent National Legislative Committee to advance the Legion's political objectives as its lobbying arm. The first iteration of this official Washington, D.C.-based lobby for

7200-463: The personal invitations distributed, the published announcement indicated that "any officer or enlisted man not invited who is in Paris at the time of the meeting is invited to be present and to have a voice in the meeting." The conclave was slated to begin on March 15. The site of Ferdinand Branstetter Post No. 1 is a vacant lot in Van Tassell, Wyoming , where the first American Legion post in

7296-791: The project. The consultant confirmed that the names of more than 500 black men from the Natchez area had been left off the plaques; in addition, 100 white men had been overlooked. The corrected list of veterans was published at the Armstrong Library, the federal courthouse, the Natchez Historic Foundation, the Natchez Museum of African American Culture, and the Natchez Visitor Reception Center, as well as online. On behalf of GSA,

7392-453: The ranks of enlisted men. The Paris Caucus in March was by its nature limited to AEF soldiers who remained in Europe; a parallel organizational meeting for those who had returned to the American preparatory to a formal organizational convention was deemed necessary. This was a conclave dominated by the presence of Roosevelt, who called the convention to order amid mass chanting akin to that of

7488-401: The second floor. Each is made of turned wood newels and balusters, makes two quarter turns, and has winders at beginning and end. The grand staircase leads to a second-floor landing at the entrance to the main courtroom. The second level features a large open space that was originally an auditorium, and was rehabilitated into a federal courtroom. The courtroom space, with blonde wood partitions,

7584-414: The site for the organization's formal Founding Convention in the fall. Over 1,100 participants competed to gain the floor to speechify, leading one historian to call the scene a "melee" in which "disorder reigned supreme". Consequently, the gathering's passage of the program was largely a pro forma exercise, rushed through during the session's last day, with the actual decision-making about such matters as

7680-519: The so-called Paris Caucus that they do three things: first, set up an apparatus to conduct a formal founding conference in the U.S. sometime in the winter; second, draft a tentative name for the organization; and finally, compose a provisional constitution to be submitted to the founding convention for acceptance or rejection. William G. Price Jr. was selected to preside. Convention rules were decided upon and four 15-member committees were chosen. The Committee on Name reported back that it had considered

7776-407: The stone he is directed to engrave crosses on each side with a knife, and then pronounce the following prayer: "Bless, O Lord, this creature of stone ( creaturam istam lapidis ) and grant by the invocation of Thy holy name that all who with a pure mind shall lend aid to the building of this church may obtain soundness of body and the healing of their souls. Through Christ Our Lord, Amen." After this,

7872-433: The structure was renamed Memorial Hall. The newly renamed building continued to serve a wide variety of purposes for the city throughout the twentieth century. It was a teen canteen, a library, a charity clothing drop-off center, a museum, an American Legion hall, a place for the city to store voting booths , a location for boxing matches , and it occasionally still hosted public performances. One notable use began in 1932, as

7968-460: The termination of hostilities in World War I—be selected as the date and time for the convocation of a national convention. No location was specified. The Committee on Permanent Organization recommended an organization based upon territorial units rather than those based upon military organizations, governed by an Executive Committee of 50, with half of these from the officer corps and half from

8064-537: The time a particular building was built. The ceremony typically involved the placing of offerings of grain , wine and oil on or under the stone. These were symbolic of the produce and the people of the land and the means of their subsistence. This in turn derived from the practice in still more ancient times of making an animal or human sacrifice that was laid in the foundations. Frazer (2006: pp. 106–107) in The Golden Bough from 1890 charts

8160-482: The various propitiary sacrifices and effigy substitution such as the shadow , states that: Nowhere, perhaps, does the equivalence of the shadow to the life or soul come out more clearly than in some customs practised to this day in South-eastern Europe. In modern Greece, when the foundation of a new building is being laid, it is the custom to kill a cock, a ram, or a lamb, and to let its blood flow on

8256-480: The war. At the time of the end of World War I, American law stated that soldiers who suffered total disability were to receive only the base pay of a private —$ 30 per month. The Legion concentrated its lobbying effort in 1919 on passage of legislation increasing payment for total disability suffered in the war to $ 80 a month—a sum roughly sufficient to provide a living wage . Those partially disabled by their wounds would receive lesser payments. A flurry of lobbying by

8352-483: Was built by the Weldon Brothers . The building was completed in 1853 and intended to serve as a place for events and performances related to the adjacent Natchez Institute school. It opened on Independence Day that year. The building quickly became the city's entertainment venue, hosting traveling acts and local celebrations. By the 1890s, newspapers called the building Opera Hall. (It had briefly doubled as

8448-415: Was delayed by various logistical problems, with a beginning finally made shortly after 2:45 pm. As "Temporary Chairman" Teddy Roosevelt Jr. had already departed for America, the session was gaveled to order by Wood, who briefly recounted Roosevelt's idea and the story of the 20 AEF officers who had jointly helped to give the new organization form. In his opening remarks, Wood recommended to the delegates of

8544-421: Was described by The Cork Examiner of 13 January 1865 as follows: ...The Deputy Provincial Grand Master of Munster, applying the golden square and level to the stone said ; " My Lord Bishop, the stone has been proved and found to be 'fair work and square work' and fit to be laid as the foundation stone of this Holy Temple".' After this, Bishop Gregg spread cement over the stone with a trowel specially made for

8640-586: Was established in March 1919 in Paris , France, by officers and men of the American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F.). It was subsequently chartered by the 66th U.S. Congress on September 16, 1919. The Legion played the leading role in drafting and passing the Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the " G.I. Bill ". In addition to organizing commemorative events, members assist at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and clinics . It

8736-561: Was even more limited. Consequently, for nearly two decades The Legion maintained a largely isolationist perspective, best expressed in three resolutions passed by the Minneapolis founding convention: 1. That a large standing army is uneconomic and un-American. National safety with freedom from militarism is best assured by a national citizen army and navy based on the democratic principles of equality of obligation and opportunity for all. 2. That we favor universal military training and

8832-487: Was held in Minneapolis , Minnesota , from November 10 to 12, 1919. 684 delegates from across the nation attended. From the outset, The American Legion maintained a strictly nonpartisan orientation toward electoral politics. The group wrote a specific prohibition of the endorsement of political candidates into its constitution, declaring: this organization shall be absolutely non-political and shall not be used for

8928-497: Was highly irregular. On April 10, 1919, Temporary Secretary Eric Fisher Wood mailed a letter to the governors of every state, informing them of the forthcoming gathering and making note of the League's nonpartisan and patriotic nature. Follow-up cables by Roosevelt and Wood encouraged the organization of state conventions to select delegates. This was largely a failed formality, as states lacked sufficient time to organize themselves and properly elect delegates to St. Louis. In practice,

9024-583: Was organized on March 7, 1919, and obtained the first charter issued to any Legion post on May 19, 1919. The St. Louis caucus that year decided that Legion posts should not be named after living persons, and the first post changed its name to George Washington Post 1. The post completed the constitution and made plans for a permanent organization. It set up temporary headquarters in New York City and began its relief, employment, and Americanism programs. On May 20, 1919, Colonel Ernest Lester Jones received

9120-678: Was spread in the Allied Officers' Club , Rue Faubourg St. Honore , on the night of February 16th... At that dinner the American Legion was born. — The Story of The American Legion (1919) The session of reserve and regular officers was instructed to provide a set of laws to curb the problem of declining morale. After three days, the officers presented a series of proposals, including eliminating restrictive regulations, organizing additional athletic and recreational events, and expanding leave time and entertainment programs. At

9216-609: Was the first overseas post to be chartered and has been in continuous existence since then. China Post One, formed in 1919, one year after the "great war" and chartered by The American Legion on April 20, 1920, was originally named the General Frederick Townsend Ward Post No. 1, China. It is the only post nominally headquartered in a Communist country, and has been operating in exile since 1948—presently in Fate, Texas . Having immediately received

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