To be a G.A.R. {Grand Army of the Republic} member meant you were a veteran of the Civil War.
There was no one at the Bergen Evening Record on June 9, 1950 that knew when this photo was taken, but they did have their names on the caption.
The men in the photo appear to be older and in their 60’s and above which if in 1860 they were young teenagers would mean by 1900 they were in their 50’s, so the photo could have been as early as the turn of the century or taken sometime in the early “19-teens” or early 1920’s. According to the caption “Spayri”, assuming that is his last name, is the eighth person when viewing from left to right. I have no other information on his service at this time.
Click here to view information on the G.A.R. organization and its impact on America after the Civil War.
Click here to view information on the Hackensack Wheelmen’s club from the book
Images of Hackensack page 60 by Barbara Gooding, Terry E. Sellarole, Allen Petretti, and Theresa E. Jones.
Click here to view George Toriello’s researched information.
Written by:
Bob Meli
February 16, 2018
