California Post, No 375 
Valley Camp No. 49, Sons of Veterans, hold their meetings regularly in the California Town Hall building, the former on the second and fourth, and the latter on the first and third Saturdays of each month. The building is owned by stockholders, all of whom are members of the Grand Army of the Republic, Post No. 375. Under the provisions of their Consitution only such can become stockholders. The articles of incorporation are dated September 19, 1884, and were recorded in the office of the Secretary of State September 25, 1884, in volume 30, pages 571, etc. and were signed and sealed September 26, 1884, by Honorable James W. Newman, Secretary of State. The names of the incorporators are John B. Brown, Hiram Adams, J. R. White, Wesley B. Brown, and William Kirchner. The articles of incorporation provide that the capital stock shall be $1500., of 300 shares at $5. each, the company to be known as the "California Building Company," of California, Pike County, Ohio, and the building as the "California Town Hall." The company was organized under the charter October 10, 1884. The building was destroyed by fire on the morning of January 28, 1886, and was rebuilt June 11, 1886. The building is located on lot 52, Wells' addition to village of California, corner of Mill and Main Streets. Size, two-story, 24 x 50 feet. The building is occupied by the above name organizations, and well furnished as Post and Camp rooms. Both organizations lost at the time of the burning of the first building, all their records, paper and equipage. The present building is of the same dimensions as the one burned, and located on the same spot. The G.A.R. Post, No 375, also suffered a previous loss from fire, by which they had destroyed almost all their post equipments and paraphernalia. They then met in the second story of a drug store located on the same lot, which they afterwards bought and built upon.
The charter members were: E. V. Samson, William Kirchner, Gilbert L. James, L. J. Jirpatrick, Joseph Niclet, Wesley Brown, Thomas M. Kent, David F. Brown, John S. Samson, Hiram Adams, Augustus Debo, L. S. Bennett, P. W. Masters and John B. Brown.
Officers - 1883 - 1884:
Post Commander - V. B. Johnson; Senior Vice Commander - J. B. Brown; Junior Vice Commander - William Kichner; Adjutant - E. V. Samson; Quartermaster - W. B. Brown; Surgeon - J. S. Samson, Chaplain - T. M. Kent; Officer of the Day - G. T. James, resigned and J. R. White elected instead; Officer of the Guard - L. S. Bennett; S. M. - M. S. Lyons.
Officers - 1885:
Post Commander - Reuben Slavens; Senior Vice Commander - J. B. Brown, Junior Vice Commander - James Musgrove; Quartermaster - W. B. Brown; Adjutant - George J. Fetters; Surgeon - J. S. Samson;
Chaplain - Thomas N. Kent; Officer of the Day - J. R. White; Officer of the Guard - John Anderson.
Officers - 1886:
Post Commander - George W. Fellers; Senior Vice Commander - Hiram Adams; Junior Vice Commander - James Musgrove; Adjutant - M. S. Lyons; Quartermaster - I. J. Dewey; Surgeron - J. S. Samson; Chaplain - J. B. Brown; Officer of the Day - J. W. Gides; Officer of the Guard - John Anderson; S. M. - Jacob Stuff.
Officers - 1887:
Post Commander - William Kirchner, resigned; Senior Vice Commander - Hiram Adams, Junior Vice Commander - W. B. Borwn; Adjutant - Walter Atkin; Surgeon - J. S. Samson; Chaplain - Isaac McCann; Quartermaster - J. B. Brown; Officer of the Day - J. W. Giles; Officer of the Guard - James R. Samson; S. M. - J. R. White; Quartermaster Sergeant - Marion Kinnison.
Muster of members:
E. V.Samson, Sergeant, 53rd & 173 Ohio Volunteer Infantry
William Kirchner, Corporal - 91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry
J. L. Kirkpatrich, Corporal - 53rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Walter Atkins, Colorado Volunteer Calvary
George W. Fellers, Co. D - 89th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Joseph Nicolet - 173rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
T. M. Kent - 30th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
J. G. Bennett - Sharp Shooter
R. C. Brown - 91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry
J. B. Brown - 91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Hiram Adams, Lieutenant - 140th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
John Rockwell, Corporal - 56th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Tilberry Crabtree, Corporal - 91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry
R. M. Masters, Corporal - 173rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
M. S. Lyons, Corporal - 53rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Enoch Crabtree
D. J. Brown - 91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry
David Gorden - 91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry
David Rockwell - 117th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
James Kearns - 117 Ohio Volunteer Infanry
Isaac McCann
I. J. Dewey - 173rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Benjamin McCain
G. W. Canter - 117th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
James Bennett - 56th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
J. R. White - 117th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Martin Stolling - Mexican War
Alfred Sharp - (deceased) - 3rd West Virginia Volunteer Calavry
William Shonkwiler
John Kirkpatrick - 117th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
G. T. James - 91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry
J. W. Giles - 56th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Samuel Plumb - 33rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
W. B. Brown - 91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry
N. M. Kent, Sergeant - 56th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
J. S. Samson - 2nd Ohio Volunteer Heavy Artillery
J. S. Brown - 91st Ohio Volunteer Infanry
Madison Crabtree
Augustus Debo - 197th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
L. S. Bennett - 91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry
V. B. Johnson, Lieutenant - 177th Ohio Voulunteer Infantry
John Feezer - 62nd Ohio Volunteer Infanry
Lewis Demer - 173rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
John Anderson, Artificer, 18th Infantry Volunteer
A. J. Culp
C. M. Gorden - 33rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Samuel O'Neal
William Allen (deceased) - 27th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
James Musgrove - 173rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Joseph Zaler - 173rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Daniel McCain - 91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry
G. W. Bailey - 91st Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Reuben Slavens, Lieutenant - 33rd Ohio Volunteer Infanry
George Reed
Marion Kinnison - 117th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
James Chamberlain - 117th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
A. Patten - 140th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
G. W. Hoover
Frederick Winter - 140th Ohio Volunteer Infantry
Isaac Fullerton
Pike County, Ohio Military Records - 1887
Copyright © 2004
Pike Co. Genealogy Society a Chapter of O.G.S.
P. O. Box 224,
Waverly, Ohio 45690