For decades the John H. Slaughter American Legion Post 30 had had a home on South Mountain Avenue in Springerville. A rear addition had been built to expand the space, but the Post building was barely big enough for Tuesday night Bingo (the largest source of funding for the Post.) Major events, such as the Anniversary Ball, were held elsewhere, usually in the hall of St. Peter's Church. By the early 1990s there was widespread agreement that not only had the Post outgrown its home, but that the condition of the building demanded upgrades or demolition.
In October 1992, Legion and Auxiliary members Merle and Margie Harper, who lived adjacent to the Post, offered Post 30, at the cost of $25.00, a five year option on a large parcel of land located at 825 East Main Street in Springerville. The Harpers proposed to exchange of their parcel for the land on which the Post sat, provided that the Post demolish the building and clear the site. Once the Post exercised the option, it would have two years in which to move whatever was wanted from the old Post building, demolish it, and leave a cleared lot. The Post exercised the option and immediately began fundraising to add to the savings it had, which everyone realized would not be nearly enough for a new building, especially the large one that many members wanted.
Fundraising moved in fits and starts, but by February 1996, Post 30 held a groundbreaking at the new site. The Post had decided on a metal roof and metal siding building of slightly over 8000 square feet, planning to construct the entire building with volunteer labor. In the end, the Post took bids on the foundation/slab and paid for professional installation of that initial part. But everything above the foundation was constructed by the Geritol Construction Company, a group of member volunteers, none of whom were young, and most past retirement, sometimes by many years. This group of 25, aided occasionally by others, and supported by food and drink supplied by the Auxiliary, constructed the shell of the building in about a year. Within six months after the shell was completed and the move from the old Post begun, the interior was nearing completion. During the construction process, donations of money and in-kind donations of building materials, fixtures, chairs, and many other things were requested and welcomed. Many donations arrived just as the funds had run out, and it was thought that construction might have to cease.
The new John H. Slaughter American Legion Post 30 building has a 4000 square foot hall for celebrations, a meeting room for Legion and Auxiliary, a large kitchen with pantry, an armory, an office, and a bar and lounge. With great foresight, the plans also included large bathrooms with showers as part of disaster preparedness. During the 2002 forest fire during which many hundreds of residents were evacuated from Showlow and surrounding areas to Springerville/Eagar, the Legion was able to provide thousands of meals and hundreds of showers in the new building to very appreciative families.
The new building now hosts weekly bingo, the Anniversary Ball and other Legion functions, as well as many community events,such as the Firemen's Ball and Peace Officers Memorial Day celebration. The main hall is rented not only for private weddings and anniversary celebrations, but also by other local organizations for dinners, Christmas parties, and dances. The new building has been, and is recognized as, a tremendous boon to the community.
