The Emmett Liles American Legion Post 541 of Ellston was organized with its first meeting held at Bill PRICE's Real Estate office on December 13th of 1920. The group met with Galen E. ROWE, a fieldman from the State Headquarters in Des Moines, on January 20, 1921. ROWE guided the group in the proper procedures in establishing the Post. The first officers elected were:

The Post was named for George "Emmett" LILES. George "Emmett" LILES was born on a farm near Ellston, Iowa. He attended the Dickson Rural School [a.k.a. Mount Vernon School No. 2 of Union Township], passing his Eight Grade Examination with the highest honors in Ringgold County. Emmett attended Ellston High School and attended Sunday School and church at Oak Hill Chapel.

Emmett was inducted into the U.S. Army on February 24, 1918, and was sent to Camp Dodge in Des Moines where he was assigned to Company D of the 117th Infantry. He received high honors in marksmanship on the rifle range. Upon arriving in Europe, Emmett was sent to Belgium where he saw action. He was reported at missing in action at Bellecourt, France, on September 29, 1918. Actual verification of his death was not received until August of 1919.

Emmett was interred at a cemetery in France. In 1921, his parents had his body returned for interment at Pumptown Cemetery.

Early members of the Emmett Liles Post 541 were:

  The first few meetings were held in Bill PRICE's Real Estate office, then the SHORT building. Finding the SHORT building unsuitable due to its small size, the Legion rented beginning in 1922 J. M. MILLER's hall [later the locker plant].

On September 12, 1921, The Emmett Liles Post 541 American Legion Auxiliary was organized.

In January of 1925, the Legion obtained its own building, buying it on contract. With the stock market crash of 1929 and the onset of the Great Depression, the Legion fell on hard times. They were unable to keep up their payments on the Legion Hall. Milo HOFF eventually bought the building which later became the Blacksmith's Shop.

Until after the close of World War II, the Legion meet in homes of their members. Then, the Legion meet in the I.O.O.F. lodge hall.

The Legion began to raise funds to build a hall on Main Street. The foundation was poured in 1948 and was finished a couple of years later.

SOURCE: A Century of Memories: Ellston, Iowa 1881 - 1981 Pp. 224-26. 1981.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, April of 2010