Information from the Past – Lyons G.A.R. & W.R.C.

The America Civil War, fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America, was the bloodiest war in our country’s history with approximately 2.75 million soldiers fighting, over 600,000 deaths (nearly 2% of the population) and many more wounded and disabled.  While the primary disagreement was over slavery, other uncompromised differences also were involved (e.g., central government power, economic practices, religious practices, and cultural differences).  The Civil War was fought between 1861-65 followed by twenty (20) years of the Reconstruction Era, with large numbers of men (and some women) participating from all areas of Michigan including the Lyons-Muir area. Following the Civil War (1866), the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) was founded in Decatur, Illinois, and grew to hundreds of “posts” (local community units) across the North and West.  The GAR’s purpose was to serve as a fraternal group in support of voting rights for black veterans, promoting patriotic education, and supporting veterans’ benefits.  The GAR was dissolved in 1956 following the death of its last member.  The Women’s Relief Corps (WRC) was founded in 1883 in Denver, Colorado, as an official women’s auxiliary to the GAR, dedicated to Civil War historical records preservation and as a veterans’ advocacy organization for Union Civil War soldiers. 

On January 11, 1883, a GAR post (Lyons #100) was organized during a meeting held at the Masonic hall in Lyons, Michigan.  Forty-eight (48) Civil War veterans “responded to the roll call and were mustered into the ranks of this Lyons Post”.  It was moved and carried to name the post for Melvin W. Dresser, who had been commissioned a first lieutenant in the Union Army on January 1, 1862 and who was killed in action on April 6, 1862 at the Battle of Shiloh in southwestern Tennessee. A number of officers were duly elected and served as the first officers of the Dresser Post #100 (D.C. Crawford/Commander; John R. Dougherty/Senior Vice Commander; P.C. Cutler/Junior Vice Commander; F.T. Gleason/Quartermaster; D.C. Spaulding/Sergeant; J.O. Probasco/Office of the Day; Henry Hitchcock/Office of the Guard; J.S. Preston/Chaplain; A.E. Barr/Adjutant; John Ashley/Sergeant-Major; and Thomas Ranger/Quartermaster Sergeant). The post flourished and, at its greatest prosperity, the Lyons Dresser Post #100 numbered one hundred and fifty-four (154) members and was said to have the largest membership of any post in Ionia County, Michigan.  The Lyons M.W. Dresser WRC (Post #70) was organized on May 20, 1891 with thirty-two (32) charter members, and it also flourished for many years.