T-R PHOTO BY MIKE DONAHEY The local Frank Lewis Glick Post No. 46 American Legion Memorial Golf Course will celebrate its 60th anniversary July 5, 2017. What once was farmland was transformed into a popular public golf course.

Editor’s Note: This is the first of three articles celebrating the 60th anniversary of the local American Legion Memorial Golf Course. This installment, and one to be published Wednesday, were written by the late Times-Republican Managing Editor, Wendell Benson.

Only chance decreed the location of Marshalltown’s present day Legion Memorial Golf Course.

It was an off-hand remark by the late C.D. McGregor that started a chain of events which 25 years later has resulted in a 200-acre multi-million dollar public recreation area in the central part of present-day Marshalltown.

American Legion members for several months had been casting about for available land suitable for a public golf course. Much of the looking had been west or north of Marshalltown far beyond the city limits. McGregor, president of the furniture firm bearing his name, and the late E.C. (Ted) Booth were busy developing a residential area at the southwest edge of Marshalltown near Elmwood Country Club and thus were conversant with available land. A.T. (Tony) Giarratano, McGregor Furniture Store manager, was chairing a Legion committee appointed by Commander Rolland Ray to seek out suitable sites for a possible golf course.

McGregor told Giarratano of the Conover farm, which was tied up in an estate, west of South 6th Street along the south side of Linn Creek. McGregor’s comment was that he thought the 27 heirs would like to sell the 125-acres, but that much legal work would have to be done to produce a clear title. From that chance conversation came Legion Memorial Golf Course. Loyal Fairall, Marshalltown attorney and ardent Legionnaire, did the legal work necessary to produce a clear title. The farm was purchased for $32,000 in the winter of 1955.

A tornado on June 1, 1951 had left 30 acres of native timberland on the farm in ruins and the farmstead was not too desirable for development by residential or commercial builders. Thus was its large acreage left as an island by the rapidly growing city on its southward path.

Commander Ray appointed a six-man Recreation Area Committee in the spring of 1955. Glenn Cooper, an industrialist and top flight amateur golfer, was elected chairman; Fairall was named to handle the committee’s legal work, Giarratano was appointed to head up building and planning, L.G. (Jack) Hix, Marshalltown banker, would handle the finances, Burr H. Perrin, funeral home director, was to be in charge of fund raising and member ship, and Wendell Benson, newspaper editor, was put in charge of promotion and public relations. Fairall was elected Post Commander that fall, and became an ex-officio member.

Title to the farm was held by the Past Commanders Trust of the American Legion post here. A house on the property was rented that first year and the farmland also rented for cropping purposes by the trust officers. The 30-acre timberland became the focal point during the summer of 1955. American Legionnaires by the hundreds descended on its snarled maze and cleared the land, producing a much needed picnic area for south Marshalltown which at that time only had Anson Park, south of the rail yards.

Trowbridge Construction Company and Barker-Rose Construction Company donated earth moving equipment to build a road into the park area and to grub out stumps. Accumulated manure from neglected farm buildings was spread on the land before the fly season that first summer. A 20-foot deep gully was also partially filled in building the 600-foot roadway to the top of the hill west of south Sixth Street at Ingledue. Today that road is known as Legion Lane.

All of Marshalltown was caught up in the enthusiasm which the public golf course prospect generated. At that time most Marshalltownians drove to Newton, Tama or Eldora to play golf if they did not belong to Elmwood Country Club.

Merchants were donating picnic tables, Iowa Electric Light and Power Company provided the electrical service without cost in the picnic area, the Marshall County Soil Conservation Service provided soil maps, sampling and aerial photos without charge so that planning could start. Yes, Marshalltown had found a project everyone could get behind.

A budget was prepared by the Recreation Area Committee and the Past Commanders Trust was asked to supply development funds in addition to the land purchase funds. In all it was to give some $77,000 before the golf course was constructed. The Recreation Area Committee, under Perrin’s direction, went forth in teams of two and asked business and industry to aid the Legion in its public golf course endeavor. Some 246 individuals, organizations and businesses contributed $27,450 to the project. The original golf course and picnic area thus cost just over $100,000 to build, quite a sum in the mid-1950’s.

After committee members drove to many Iowa cities to inspect public golf facilities, consulted with the National Golf Foundation, and listened to many other experts, the original plan for an 18-hole course was shelved in favor of a 9-hole layout. The lay of the land (because of Linn Creek), available funding and the uncertainties of a water supply were major factors in the 9-hole decision.

Legion politics have always been tricky within Frank Lewis Glick Post, given over to factions. In the golf course planning stages, the committee repeatedly went to the post membership for votes on major decisions. The biggest such vote came when the Post voted to ask the Past Commanders Trust to purchase the Conover farm for $32,000. After much political maneuvering the vote was 220 to 5. Later votes were taken on most of the major decisions associated with the golf course construction.

By October, 1955, the design of the course had been ratified by the committee members, and the post membership. A contract for $32,700 was awarded to Adams Construction Company, Sioux City, the low bidder. Charles “Chick” Adams, a licensed golf professional and owner of Adams Construction Company, did the design of Legion Memorial’s first nine holes.

Fast forward 60 years and many thousands of golf rounds later, the course is in need of an upgrade.

“The Legion is proud of providing the golf course to the citizens of Marshalltown and surrounding areas for six decades,” said Legionnaire and avid golfer Ron Estabrook of Marshalltown.

“We are asking golfers and non-golfers alike to make a donation to help us replace the old storage shed near hole number 13,” said Estabrook. “Please send donations to the Frank Glick American Legion Post No. 46, 1301 S. 6th St., Marshalltown, Iowa, 50158. A committee is hard at work organizing a major tournament to be held in the near future to help us raise additional funds.”

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Reporter Mike Donahey contributed to this report.