McHugh, Adjutant and L. P. Tucker, Quartermaster. The post completed its new building at Elm and Main Streets in 1950.

THE VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS AUXILIARY to post 6026 held its first meeting in the Zehr Farm Supply building December 5, 1947. Seventeen members present organized the group, electing as the first officers Mrs. Lorene Hartman, President; Mrs. Marguerite Hocker, Vice-President; Mrs. Jeanne Jones, Junior Vice-President; Reta E. Zehr, Secretary and Mrs. Ferne Scott, Treasurer.

The new auxiliary held an installation January 11, 1948 in the Federated Church, the date of their charter, which contained forty-four names. The 1953 officers of the V. F. W. Auxiliary include Mrs. Mary Tipler, President; Mrs. Alice Loftus, Senior Vice- President; Mrs. Dorothy Benson, Junior Vice-President; Reta Zehr, Secretary and Mrs. Marguerite Hocker, Treasurer.

THE EL PASO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE was formed after the old El Paso Businessmen’s Association disbanded. The Businessmen’s Association had been active after the closing of the El Paso Commercial Club; both of these had been local bodies unaffiliated with any higher organization. The first officials of the local Chamber of Commerce were elected for the year 1944 and included J. W. McHugh, the first president; Walter L. Bailey, first vice-president, and Frank M. Rice who served as secretary and treasurer.

The officers for centennial year include Homer Sturm the president, Wayne West the vice-president and Burton Baity and Loren Ludwig serving as secretary and treasurer respectively. Much of the centennial week celebration which is scheduled for August 22-28, 1954 depends upon the efforts of these men and their committees cooperating with the general centennial committee.

There have been a number of lodges, veterans' organizations and other groups formed at various times that are no longer active. We list only the ones that seem the more important.

S. T. ROGERS POST No. 531, GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC was composed of the Union veterans of the Civil War residing in the El Paso community. The post was chartered September 17, 1885, nearly twenty years after the first organization in Decatur, Illinois. The first local commander was Samuel T. Rogers who had been a lieutenant in Company A, 86th Illinois Infantry Regiment, and for whom the post was named. S. H. Worthington was elected the first adjutant.

The post was active for thirty-two years, the final entry in their minute book saying simply that "there being only four members present, it was voted to surrender the charter and disband the post." (See the chapter "El Paso Community in the Wars.")

S. T. ROGERS CHAPTER OF THE WOMEN’S RELIEF CORPS No. 246 was organized in November, 1894 and chartered January 26, 1895.

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