The original American Legion Charter was given to the Hartford Post by the Department of South Dakota on December 15, 1919. It was named the Ferdinand Urban Post 118 of Hartford, after the first serviceman to loose his life from this post area. He was a member of the Rainbow Division. Charter members were Craig Palmer, William Aulwes, Ray Borcherding, John Clark, Lawrence Gillen, Clark Ginsbach, Clarence Haugen, John James, John Kadinger, Harold Linebacker, Ervin Main, Joe Pirrung, Glenn Prunty, Herbert Thompson and Carl Voight.
The early day successes were hard to come by.Not long after the Legion's formation, unemployment hit the ranks, and more time was spent making ends meet than worrying about keeping the Legion alive. At one time, membership was down to eight members while their Post Home moved to various locations in town.
At the end of World War II a new wave of ex-servicemen came home to join the ranks of the Post. A new charter was issued on January 2, 1947 renaming the Post, the Urban-Hanson Post, after Wendell Hanson who was lost at sea in February 1942.
The newly formed Legion met in the I.O.O.F. Hall. In 1947 the organization purchased the Engelcke Store Building. In 1948 the Opera House came up for sale and the forward-looking members saw great potential in that old building and purchased it, making it into the Post home it is today.
The first major event was a Feather Party which took place in December 1949. The Dugout was opened in January 1950.
One of those major highlights in the history of the Hartford Post was a breakfast served for National Commander Earl Cocke who was on tour of the Department of South Dakota at the time.
The Post has had several members hold office on the District and Department levels. Eugene Wehrkamp held the office of District Commander, Department Commander and Department Membership Chairman. Earnest Viet held office of Department Vice Commander and two separate terms, Department Membership Chairman and had the great honor of serving as Department Commander.
Starting with a membership of 45, the membership had grown to 314 by 1981.
Among community projects in which the Legion has been involved are lights at the Hartford Ball Diamond, lights at the swimming pool, picnic shelters at city park, a joint effort with the Jaycees to put restrooms in the park, a flagpole at the new elementary school, planted trees in the park to replace those killed by Dutch Elm disease, sponsored Junior Legion Baseball and softball and also the Boy Scouts.
*Condensed from an artice in the Hartford Centennial Book dated 1981.
