Colegrove-Woodruff Camp No. 22
Marshall, Michigan

Correspondence:

Commander: David. H. Eddy

Secretary Treasurer: John Lohrstorfer

Officers:

NEW! - "Although having 501(c) (4) Tax Exempt Status. “Donations to the Department of Michigan - Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, its Camps, or Sons of Veterans Reserve Units operating within the Department of Michigan, Are Not Tax Deductible.”

About the Colegrove-Woodruff Camp No. 22

Our meetings are held at this facility on the 1st Thursday of each even numbered month. They begin at 7:30 PM.

The Colegrove-Woodruff Camp No. 22 is responsible for Graves Registration and Memorials in Branch and Calhoun counties or wherever duty calls. We participate along with other Veteran and Patriotic organizations, in ceremonies and parades honoring the men and women of ALL wars who have served in the United States military.

Traditional Memorial Day (May 30), or Decoration Day as it was originally known, is observed as well as Veterans Day (November 11).

HISTORIC HOMES TOUR WEEKEND

Scheduled annually the first weekend in September, this tour encompasses the historic homes of Marshall as well the G.A.R. Hall.

The G.A.R. post in Marshall was named after the first local man to die in the war, Private Calvin Colegrove, who was killed at the Battle of First Bull Run in 1861. It’s official name was Colegrove Post No. 166. The Post was started in October 1883 and continued for 41 years. The reports sent to Department Headquarters in Lansing by this post still exist at the State archives. From these records, it was possible to make a list of all the members.

Practically, every Civil War veteran in the Marshall area was a member of Post No. 166. The last meeting was held in 1924. The last surviving member was Arthur J. Phillips; he died in 1934.

During the first 18 years, meetings were held at various halls rented for the occasion. In 1902 the Post built their own meeting hall, the landmark G.A.R. Hall on Michigan Avenue.

THE MARSHALL G.A.R. HALL
THE CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
1902—2002

This building was built in 1902 at a cost of $3,000. It served as a meeting place for the members of Colegrove G.A.R. Post No. 166. It remains today, the best preserved G.A.R. Hall in Michigan.

The cannon on the lawn was added in 1906. It is a 30-pound Parrott (heavy artillery) and used during the Civil War.

Post No. 166 met regularly in this Hall between 1902 and 1924. Afterwards, the Hall was rented for use as a church, a dance studio, and an ice cream parlor. When Marshall’s V.F.W. Post was organized after World War II, they used the Hall for their first meetings.

In 1977, the Marshall Historical Society bought the building from the City of Marshall for $1. Since then, they have restored the building and transformed it into a historical museum and archives for local history.

The museum features an excellent collection of Civil War items donated by local families. It is open in the summer on weekends. Contact the Marshall Historical Society for further information.