Lanesboro is a small town that takes big pride in the men and women from here who have served our country in the armed forces. This historic building at 103 Elmwood Street, now commonly called “The Legion,” is a strong symbol of that pride.

Originally built by Ellef Loveland in 1873 out of coursed ashlar stone, Henrietta Henry had her home and dress shop here for four decades, where she taught hundreds of women how to sew. Her husband, a stonemason, built the top story. Other shops like the Bergey Bake Shop were located on the first floor of this building over the years. Lanesboro American Legion Post 40 bought it in 1946 for their headquarters.

The Legion, founded by an act of Congress in 1919, focuses on meeting the needs of veterans and their families. Lanesboro’s Post No. 40 is named in honor of Henry M. Guttormson who grew up in nearby Union Prairie, enlisted during World War I, and gave his life on a battlefield in France on August 6, 1918. Originally buried overseas, Henry’s remains were later returned for re-burial with honors near his family home.

Today the Lanesboro Legion is a place where friends old and new gather. Local veterans march in parades and lead annual Memorial Day observances. In 2024 the Legion became the main sponsor of “Legion Lights,” an impressive holiday lights festival in Sylvan Park.

This building, the oldest in the United States still being used as a Legion headquarters, symbolizes the unselfish service local men and women have given to our country for well over a century. May they never be forgotten.