Ettrick legion hopes to honor veterans, create community hub with new building

If things go as planned Ettrick America Legion Runnestrand-Pederson Post 354 will construct a building that will honor veterans and serve as a center for the community.

Post 354 members recently announced plans to build a new facility on the property next to CCF Bank on Main St. in the Ettrick village limits. The group is attempting to raise $1 million for the project, which will have space honoring those who have served in the military and be a location in which community members can meet for various events. 

“This building is going to be the home for the American Legion, but it is well beyond that,” Phil Borreson, chair of the Post 354 building committee, said. “It’s a building that’s meant to be the center point for the community. We are going to open the building to all of the community, groups, and entities.”

The full scope of the project depends on how much money can be raised. The plans for the Ettrick building are based on a legion building recently constructed in Bloomer. The hope is to have a community space that is large enough to hold 70 to 100 people with two bathrooms and potentially a conference room. Borreson said the plan is for the building space to be open with the ability to divide sections off. 

“Flexibility is one of the things we aspire to maintain,” Borreson said. 

Right now, plans don’t include a full kitchen, but that could change if the group can raise enough money. Fritz Truax, chair of the fundraising committee, said the group has raised around $390,000 so far, thanks to a couple of large donations. The group is continuing to reach out to businesses and hopes to get more individual donations as well. 

The group hopes to be able to obtain grant money and federal money to help offset some of the costs but has no guarantees. 

Post 354 will continue with its regular fundraisers throughout the years, but does not plan on using funds from those to finance the building. The group intends to still sponsor youth baseball and softball teams, area clubs, Badger Boys and Girls State representatives, and other numerous school-sponsored activities. However, they will look at other fundraisers to help raise funds for the building.

“We want something that is complimentary to Main St. in Ettrick and is something the Ettrick community can be proud of,” Borreson said.

Both Truax and Borreson said the legion takes pride in its community involvement, especially considering its size. In addition to attending many Ettrick-area events, Post 354 members have assisted at events in Blair and Galesville. 

“I would say we have a very active legion for the community the size of Ettrick,” Truax said, adding it has 60 active members. 

While the building will be a great space for the community, Truax said it’s also important to remember what the Post stands for.

“We want to have a location where we can recognize all the veterans who have served our community,” Truax said. “On Memorial Day we do the crosses — hundreds of crosses put up to recognize all the veterans who have passed. I think of having a more permanent recognition for all the veterans who have served.” 

The Post is named after Alfred Runnestrand, who was killed in action during World War I, and Theodore Pederson, who was injured during WWII and died aboard a British hospital ship that was sunk in the Mediterranean Sea. 

The new building would also serve as the home to the legion auxiliary. 

Another benefit of having a new building in such a visible location is the possible recruitment of new members to the Post. 

Post 354 has another building further down Main St., but that location was already in rough shape when it was transferred to the Post about 10 years ago. Currently, there are structural issues with that building and it doesn’t have heat, which means Post 354 can only use it for storage. They may still use that building for storage once the new one is constructed, but it will likely be razed eventually. 

Borreson said the new building will also be handicap accessible and will attempt to utilize any energy savings that it can to keep operating costs low. 

Once more funds are raised, the group will finalize plans for the design of the building — though much of that will depend on how close to the $1 million goal it can get. Post 354 members note that donations are tax-deductible under IRS Code 501c19. 

The Post offers different contribution levels ranging from Private, $100 to $249 to General, $100,000, and more, with various military ranks in between. Donations can be sent to Ettrick American Legion Post 354, 22843 Main St., Ettrick, WI 54627

The legion hopes to break ground on the project in the spring of 2026, but that could depend on how the fundraising efforts proceed.