Our first Commander, Fred J. Mattingly, was a World War I veteran who served with Company I, 128th Infantry Regiment, a unit of the Wisconsin National Guard. While the story of that unit is intriguing in itself, we will focus on Fred Mattingly for now.

Born in 1892 in Missouri, Fred moved to Stoughton as a young man. He married Meryl Newkirk in 1920 and dedicated his life to serving his community. At just 27 years old, he became the first Commander of Post 59 in 1919. Over his lifetime, he also served as Justice of the Peace for the fourth ward and as a supervisor for the same area. From 1920 to 1969, he was a member of the Stoughton Common Council, serving as its president in 1966. Additionally, he was involved with the Board of Review and the Board of Public Works.

Fred had a long career with the Wisconsin Beverage Tax Department, where he was known as “a revenuer." He began his career in 1938 within the newly established Department of State Inspection and Enforcement Bureaus and became the department's chief investigator in 1949. In an article dated October 22, 1956, Mattingly was reported to be hiring four new agents at a salary of $319 per month. He mentioned that “they must not look like a cop or a flatfoot. We want men who are not too good-looking or who wear a mustache. They must also not be easily remembered.”

Throughout his law enforcement career, Mattingly remained active as an alderman for the City of Stoughton and held various officer positions with Post 59 until his death in 1976.

As a side note, if you are ever at the Off Broadway restaurant in Monona, Wisconsin, look above the gambling machines. You’ll find a picture of Fred Mattingly and others as they destroy slot machines and other illegal gambling devices in 1948.