Dear Barb I read your item with great interest as Decatur Il was where the GAR was originally founded. My mother, Minnie Reynolds, was the office manager of the American Legion Hall at the time and found the papers. FROM: Decatur Herald and Review Friday, November 15, 1968 LOST GAR CHARTERS FOUND AGAIN the lost again, found again Grand Army of thhe Republic charters have been found again. They were found this time in the office of the american Legion Castle Williams Post 105, 1334 St. Louis Bridge Rd. The charters were referred to in a 1954 story in the Bugle Call, a GAR publication. The story said the charters had been stored in the Millikin Nationl Bank in Decatur. After a thorough investigation, it was decided the story had been in error. The bank did not have the charters. And the search continued. Mrs. C. H. Rollins, secretary and past president of the Ladies of the GAR said she has been looking continuously for them. In 1960, they were found again, this time at the American Legion. But they were mislaid agin until Sunday, when Gordon O. Grace, commander of the American Legion, uncovrred them in an old box. I wanted to hold them in my arms, but they were so dirty. I had to wait until they had been cleaned." said Mrs. Rollins. They have intrinsic value without estimate." she said today. Thursday, she, Gordon and Mrs. Kenneth Mollahon, 1421 E Walnut St., president of the Ladies of the GAR took them to the Millikin Bank to be placed in a vault. The GAR, which had a membership of 409,459 at its peak, and was founded in Decatur and died at Duluth, Minn. with the passing of its last survivor, Albert Woolson. Mrs. Rollins said the Ladies of the GAR have already received inquiries from Washington,D.C. and the Smithsonian Institute desiring the charters. "But I don't want to see them leave Decatur" she said"" I'm not sure whether they are still in Decatur or not, but if any one is interested, please contact the Herald and Review Archives Dept. 601 E. William St. Decatur, IL. 62523 I am sure they could tell you - If you want any copies of anything they charge $5.00 per copy - Send an SASE- Harriet Reynolds Rariden in Deccatur, IL Search names: Reynolds, Rariden, Gunnels, Vest, Greer, Dashiell, Fairhurst (Denver area 1910-1915),