SAN LEON, Texas — For decades, the American Legion in San Leon has been the Bacliff/San Leon community’s gathering spot, courthouse, rallying point, turkey shoot headquarters and popular watering hole. Hurricane Ike threatened to take all of that away, but members of Post 291 mustered what they could, and a few weeks ago, the hall opened its doors once again.
"Anything that happens in this community, it usually happens here," American Legion Post 291 Commander Boyd Thomure said. "It’s always been the place where people come together."
Whether it be to order a cold beer, eat a good meal during the post’s famed steak night, host a wedding reception, rally community resources to help someone in need or to debate — and yes often fight — about annexation vs. incorporating, the post on FM 517 is the heart of the San Leon community.
It gained a reputation as being the only place where you could have a government meeting and beer was served, except when the justice of the peace used to hold court there.
"Back then, we would have to yell, ‘court’s in session and the bar is closed,’" Thomure said. "Once court was over, the bar opened back up."
The judge was known to toss back a few after a session.
Part of its draw, Thomure said, is that the post always has been open to the public and not a members-only spot.
All the storm did was take out a building, though, not the passion for helping others or the will of the post members.
"We were down here the day after the storm when there was no FEMA, no government help and people needed water and food," Thomure said. "People in this community always know when something needs to get done, they come here first."
Long before any government help arrived, the post’s members coordinated with church groups and posts from across the region to get supplies delivered. Thomure chased down a Salvation Army truck one day and let them set up shop on the legion property so people could find food while members of the Legion Riders motorcycle group coordinated with H-E-B to have eighteen-wheelers of supplies delivered.
While the main building was ripped from its foundation and shoved down the street 6 feet, the legion’s 72 members still met each month. They took over a garage out back, and for 17 months, it became the headquarters.
With only one light bulb in the place, David Lattimer, the post’s adjutant, said he used a cigarette lighter to keep the minutes of the meeting. Now, there’s plenty of light in the new 4,800-square-foot hall, which is elevated so there is extra room downstairs for special events, offering the post an extra source of revenue.
Other posts in the region donated materials and manpower to assist in the rebuild. Still, it cost the post about $285,000 to rebuild, which has proved not to be enough.
The kitchen still needs equipment, including a vent hood for the new stove, before the post can resume its dinner nights and family style fried chicken Sunday lunches or rent out the hall to groups wanting to serve food. Thomure said the post will have to wait until it gets about $4,000 before everything will be back in operation.
Still, the bar is open, the beer is cold, the pool table is open for a friendly game, and the community’s unofficial city hall is open for business again.
