On November 3, 1885, a group of Union army and navy veterans met at a local store in Pasadena to organize a post of the Grand Army of the Republic. A second planning meeting was held later that month at the local library. Horace Bell, a Los Angeles veteran and historian, served as mustering officer for the new post, which chose the name John F. Godfrey.

Unlike many posts, the local men did not designate a famous person or a battlefield when naming the post. Instead, they selected a less famous man who had risen from private to lieutenant colonel of artillery during the war. After taking time away to recuperate from illness, John F. Godfrey re-enlisted after the war to serve in the Indian Wars. He finally retired to private life, becoming an attorney who served two terms as City Attorney for Los Angeles.

John F. Godfrey

In 1876, only two years into the existence of Pasadena, John F. Godfrey spoke at a big local event. Then, only nine years later, Col. Godfrey passed away due to illness. So it was that his name was suggested for the new post, just a few months after his death.

The charter for the new post was signed by fifteen local veterans: C. C. Brown, Alfred Wakeley, A. K. McQuilling, E. S. Frost, F. J. Woodbury, W. J. F. Barcus, W. H. Lordan, Wesley Bunnell, Milo J. Green, George A. Black, Jehu Ellis, John B. Hill, J. D. Youngclaus, Lyman Allen, and J. D. Gilchrist. These men lived through a wide range of wartime experiences, and had diverse civilian lives, from land developer to shoemaker. 

The post steadily grew, and began to take part in local events. In May of 1886, the post attended church as a group, to hear a special Memorial Day sermon. This tradition would continue for many years at various local churches. Memorial Day services became an important part of the local community, and grew to include a parade, ceremonies at the local cemetery, and educational visits to local schools.

By the 1890s, a local veteran began keeping record of local veteran burials, so that all of the graves could be decorated on Memorial Day. This list was published in local newspapers. In some years, once the full list had become too long for this practice, a list of veterans who had passed away that year was published on or near Memorial Day.

In 1906, members of the post and other local community benefactors paid for a statue of a Civil War soldier to be erected near the Pasadena Library, in what is now called Memorial Park, but was at that time known as Library Park. Soon after, in 1909, the Department Encampment was held in Pasadena.

By the time of the 1912 National Encampment, held in Los Angeles, the Godfrey Post occupied a major place in the local community. As a result, there was a “field trip” from the Encampment, and thousands of Grand Army members rode trolleys and cars to Pasadena for an excursion. There was a large outdoor party held in Library Park, surrounding the statue.

Veterans continued to arrive in Pasadena until at least the 1920s. As a result, the Godfrey Post remained one of the largest posts in the West. In 1926, the encampment for California and Nevada again took place in Pasadena. Old soldiers marched along Colorado Boulevard, while members of the Tournament of Roses dropped rose petals on them from buildings lining the street.

The last charter member, A. K. McQuilling, died in 1940.

The last member of the Godfrey Post, Oliver Haney, died in 1946 after a brief illness, 61 years after the charter meeting. By that time, over 1,100 men had signed the rosters of the John F. Godfrey Post.