The Grand Army of the Republic, established in 1866 by Union veterans of the Civil War, sought to preserve friendships, honor fallen comrades, and aid widows and the handicapped, and it wielded great political influence in the years just after the war. It last met in 1949 for its 83rd encampment, and today there are no survivors of the organization. One of the finest architectural examples inspired by this movement is Litchfield's Frank Daggett Post, No. 35, organized in 1883 and named to honor the founder of the G.A.R. association in Meeker County. Dedicated on Memorial Day, 1885, the Memorial Hall was designed to resemble a fort and included a public library, reading rooms, and museum rooms. A neat tin box placed in the building's cornerstone contains a Bible, the names of post members and community leaders, and memorabilia including postage stamps, coins, and battlefield relics. An addition built in 1961 houses the Meeker County Historical Society Museum.