The Grand Army of the Republic Monument, unveiled May 30, 1905, sits among the graves of Civil War veterans at Yakima's Tahoma Cemetery. Donald W. Meyers/Yakima Herald-Republic.

The Grand Army of the Republic Hall in Litchfield, Minnesota, was constructed 140 years ago and today looks largely the same, thanks to a decision by the Civil War veterans who built it.

On Memorial Day we are meant to visit the dead. This duty was clearer when the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) first inaugurated the holiday, then known as Decoration Day, in 1868. In General ...

When they returned home, many communities built dedicated spaces for veterans to gather and connect.Today, only two Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Halls remain in Minnesota, though there were ...