This Month in Rochester History

With the start of another new year, we turn our attention to the events of a half century ago in Rochester, during the year 1967.  In January 1967,  members of American Legion Post #172, also known as the Homer Wing Post, were celebrating the purchase of a new home.  The post had previously been headquartered in the historic Sprague house on West University Drive, but had sold that property for redevelopment in 1965.  In 1966, the Sprague house was torn down to make way for the construction of the office building at 134 W. University, leaving the Homer Wing Post without a permanent home.

After the Michigan Bell Telephone Company vacated its building at the corner of Third and Walnut streets in the fall of 1966, that building was offered for sale. The American Legion post, under Commander John Boeberitz, completed purchase of the property in January 1967, and the former telephone company building has been the post's home ever since.