by John Dowd
For more than 80 years, members of Fort Owen American Legion Post 94 have gathered in a former schoolhouse on the outskirts of Stevensville, maintaining a building that has become as much a part of the organization’s history as its service to veterans and the community.
The post, founded in 1940, eventually acquired the former schoolhouse, a two-story building constructed in 1912. The school featured two classrooms separated by a central hallway, with an auditorium upstairs. The final class was held there in 1972 before the building was later used for grain storage during the late 1970s.
When legion members took over the building in the early 1980s, they inherited more than just history. “There was a lot that had to be done,” said former Post Commander Chuck Bergmeier.
Original photo of old schoolhouse after American Legion Post 94 took it over. Photo courtesy Dennis Lenahan.
The center hallway was removed to create one large meeting room, and deteriorating brick fireplaces in each classroom had to be demolished because they were “leaning and rickety,” Bergmeier said. The salvaged brick was reused to construct an office addition. Members also replaced the roof and completed extensive interior renovations themselves. The process cost the legion around $10,000.
Along the way, they uncovered pieces of the building’s past, literally inside the walls, including an old electrical circuit that is now displayed inside the post.
Today, however, time continues to take its toll. Rainwater leaks, deteriorating brick and aging wood require constant attention. New windows are needed, electrical upgrades could cost at least $2,000, and painting estimates have ranged from $7,000 to $13,000. Brick repairs alone are expected to cost another $1,000 to $1,500.
“We’re simply maintaining, but it’s getting ahead of us,” said member Dennis Lenahan.
Because of the many alterations made over the decades, the building no longer qualifies for historic designation, limiting some preservation opportunities. The post has applied for grants while also seeking donations of construction supplies and financial support.
“What we really have to have is dollars,” Bergmeier said.
Unlike many veteran organizations that operate bars to generate revenue, the Stevensville post has never done so. “We could not use it as a bar because it would conflict with the other bars in town,” Bergmeier said. Instead, fundraising has become essential.
One of the post’s largest annual events is its duck race, scheduled for Aug. 8. Approximately 600 rubber ducks will be released into the irrigation ditch along Pine Hollow Road at 1 p.m., eventually finishing near the Stevensville High School football field parking lot about an hour later. Tickets cost $5 each, with seven prizes awarded, including one for last place.
Other fundraisers have included a black powder gun auction, donated trailers from M and M Trailers, and proceeds from the Calcutta held at the local country club.
Despite the financial challenges, members say supporting the community remains their top priority.
The post has about 140 members, most of whom are older than 70. “A lot of the work falls on older members,” Bergmeier said. “We could use young hands.”
Throughout the year, the Legion hosts youth air rifle programs upstairs during the winter, teaches firearm safety, sponsors essay contests and supports local youth athletics, including Bucks Baseball. The organization has also contributed to the “We the People” program, helping local students travel to Washington, D.C., for national competition.
“It’s really gratifying that they did really well,” Bergmeier said of the students the Legion has supported.
The organization’s community service extends well beyond youth programs. Members conduct numerous honor guard ceremonies for deceased veterans, place American flags on veterans’ graves, distribute what are now hundreds of flags to children during the Memorial Day Parade and participate in Wreaths Across America by placing wreaths at five cemeteries in the Stevensville area.
Fort Owen American Legion Post 94 members outside the old school house that is now the legion hall. Photo by John Dowd.
“We’ve never turned anybody down,” said Roy Miller, first vice president and honor guard commander. “We find the money somewhere.”
For Post 94, preserving the century-old building is about more than maintaining a structure. Members say it is about ensuring they can continue serving veterans, supporting local youth and remaining a fixture in the Stevensville community for generations to come.