The Otis Sampson
American Legion Post 59
Stoughton, Wisconsin
Open to the Public
The Otis Sampson
American Legion Post 59
History
About Us
Welcome to the Post 59 history page! This project has been over a century in the making, representing years of dedicated documentation by our Post historians. We hope you enjoy exploring it!
Home of Post 59 - 401 S. 5th Street
From 1944-2007
*Former Congregational Church building*
This project is dedicated to the rich history of Post 59 and its Commander's over the past 106 years. This endeavor began in March 2025 and has grown significantly as I uncovered historical binders created by Leonard "Lennie" Swingen, Lynn (Swingen) Robertson, and Steve Grady. With help from Al Vick, the current Post 59 historian, Jim Oler, Michael Currie, and various archives, I've been piecing together stories and artifacts. I invite you to explore this ongoing project, and if you have any or stories related to Post 59, please feel free to reach out to me at stenjemdean@gmail.com.
Thank for visiting!
Dean Stenjem
Our Story
Establishment of The American Legion and Post 59
by: Leonard "Lennie" Swingen
The American Legion today represents the American Veterans of several wars. In March of 1919, The American Legion Paris caucus was held. In May of the same year the St. Louis caucus was held, and the American Legion was delivered to the State of Wisconsin in September 1919 by a group of sixty Veterans known as the American Legion founders.
A meeting was called for the early part of September to be held in the public service company auditorium in Milwaukee with Colonel Theodore Roosevelt Jr., one of the founders, invited to address the group. It was here that the American Legion Department of Wisconsin was born. A central office was opened in the arcade building in Milwaukee. The department began its first year with 26 chartered posts. The first department officers were elected on September 4th, 1919.
In the fall of 1919, Stoughton American Legion Post 59 was formed with Fred Mattingly serving as the posts first Commander. The post was named after the first World War I casualty of Stoughton, Otis Sampson.
For many years, the post occupied several locations on main street until in 1944 it found a permanent home in the former Congregational Church building at 401 S. 5th street. Palmer Henderson was very influential in obtaining a loan to help purchase the building. Many of the Legion members pitched in with both cash donations and manual labor to help remodel the building for their club house use. The Ladies Auxiliary was very helpful in “dressing up” the building.
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