When soldiers went home they often joined a local chapter of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), which was a fraternal organization that was a powerful lobbying force and the forerunner of the VFW and similar veterans' groups today. If your 3rd MA ancestor lived in or near Lynn, in northeastern MA, he would have gone to the local GAR meeting. That building and others of the period are historic treasures and the city of Lynn has made a "virtual tour" that anyone can take online. Built in 1885, it has been on the National Historic Register since 1979. Here is a link to take you inside this gem: www.ci.lynn.ma.us/aboutlynn_tour_garbuilding.shtml.
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AuthorThe author is a historian with a Ph.D. in US history and a love for genealogy and old photos. Archives
August 2018
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