Mills County, Iowa

Silver City Community History
1879 - 1979

OLD SOLDIERS REUNION

The Annual Soldiers Reunion of Mills County were held in Silver City several times. The first on record was September 1899 and the last in 1914. These reunions lasted three days with morning, afternoon and evening programs. Prominent men of the county and state delivered addresses. Citizens of the town assisted the Old Soldiers in making the reunions a success.

In 1907 a fund of four hundred dollars was raised for the annual Old Soldiers Reunion. As Silver City was noted for her musically inclined people, the visitors were given a grand treat. Spelbring’s band gave a number of choruses, quartets, and solos. Main speakers were General Stone of Glenwood, Rev. Peter Jacobs of Tabor and Attorney Joel Estes of Sidney.

At the Campfires short addresses were given by County Attorney Starbuck, Claude Kerney, Supt. W.M. Moore, Elmer Stone and C.W. Black. The highest attendance for a day was 3,500. As 1914 was a state election year, the majority of the speakers were candidates for the state offices. Two other speakers, Hon. L.T. Genung and Gen. Y. Stone, both old soldiers and long-time residents of the county, delivered addresses. General Stone signed the muster roll within three miles of Silver City and served during the war in a Mills County Company.

By 1914 there were no campers on the ground due to the soldiers ages. There were forty-five veterans of the Civil War in 1914 as compared to ninety-three in 1907 in attendance. By 1907 many of the G.A.R. members had moved away or passed on. A few of the members joined the Milton Summers Post at Malvern, Iowa.

~submitted by Roseanna Zehner & Darlene Jacoby