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The Old Soldiers' Home

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The Old Soldiers’ Home “They freely risked life and limb to protect the nation, and it seems but simple justice for the nation to care for them when unable to care for themselves” (Guide Publishing 1) was a shared opinion of many by the end of the Civil War. After these men have put their life on the line for the nation, any train of thought opposite of this would be absurd. Injury from the war is expected, but unfortunately, some of the blows these vets received were too harsh to bounce back from. Over 100,000 men from the Union Army would not be able to return to civilian employment, due to injuries or disabilities received in the line of duty. The United States would not let these war vets and their hard work and dedication go …show more content…

Due to the generous donation from Putnam, “by the turn of the century, the Patients’ Library ranked among the best and heavily used libraries in the state” (Burns 1).The hospital of the Soldiers’ Home, which was undoubtedly the most important part of the home, was record breaking as well. The Central Branch’s hospital was the first hospital to be completed in Montgomery County and was dedicated in May of 1870. Last but not least, the chapel. The church’s construction began in 1868 and was soon completed after the hospital’s dedication. Not only did the veterans get to benefit from having their own personal sanctuary available to them, they got the chance to become a part of creating that sanctuary. “Built by the veterans themselves, the chapel is the first religious structure paid for by the federal government” (Burns 1). Administrators not only succeeded at making the home as comfortable as possible for the war vets, but they had also put the Dayton home on the map, giving it the exposure it deserved, exhibiting Ohio's gratitude and respect for the men of the nation’s army. The Soldiers’ Home continued to flourish, giving the veterans a new and improved living area with every positive change made. “Ten years after its founding, by 1877, the facility had been transformed into a city with 132 buildings, many of which had running water, steam heat, and gas

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