Post History

Renton-Pickering Post 79 of The American legion in Snoqualme, Washington is named for not just one decorated WW I Veteran but two local men who served in WW I – David Renton and Lester B. Pickering.

Lester B. Pickering

Lester B. Pickering was born on June 17, 1895 to Jeanette and Al Pickering on the old Pickering homestead in Novelty. Here he grew up attending grade school at Novelty and three years of high school at Duvall. He took his senior year of high school work at Queen Anne in Seattle while his parents and family moved to Chesaw in Okanogan County. In the fall of 1913 he entered the University of Washington majoring in civil engineering. The summer of 1916 he worked on a government survey crew in eastern Washington.

About a month after the outbreak of World War I Lester was in uniform at the Presidio, a member of the First Officers’ Training camp. 
While in camp he was awarded his degree in engineering from the university with the Class of ’17. Upon completion of officer training in August he was assigned to the 316th Engineers at Camp Lewis as a 2nd Lieutenant in June, 1918.

In December 1917 Lester made the trop to California where he was married to his childhood sweetheart, Leila Thayer, a Duvall girl. 

Wounded in Action

In June 1918 his regiment left for France as a part of the 91st Division. Over there after some more drill and pioneer engineer training they were in reserve in the St. Mihiel drive. In the latter part of September they went into the Argonne.

Quoting from the Red Cross report, “The platoon of 1st Lieutenant Lester B. Pickering Co. C went over the top in the advance of the 29th , assisting in filling the gap at the left of the 91st . Units of Co. C advanced nearly a mile that afternoon, and during the advance the lieutenant was struck below the right knee by a machine gun from the left flank. The wound was not serious, as the bullet entered the inside fleshy part of the leg and glanced off the bone. The lieutenant put on his own first aid and continued to advance, although he had some difficulty walking.

“He was advised by fellow officers to go to the hospital, after the retirement that night, but insisted on staying with the company. Finally Lieutenant Colonel Powell, commanding the engineers, gave him an official order to go to the hospital. He was accordingly evacuated and in a few days reached base hospital No. 23 at Vittel, department of Vosges, about 90 miles from where he was wounded.

There he is said to have recovered so rapidly as to be able to walk around. But on October 15 he died from pneumonia following influenza. The lieutenant was considered a remarkably fine officer and his death was keenly felt in the regiment.”

In January 1922 his body was brought home to Novelty and buried with military honors in that beautiful little cemetery on Novelty hill. For many years before the monument was erected in the Veterans plot at Novelty the Memorial services were held and the volleys fired over the grave of Lieutenant Pickering.

Note: The information above was condensed from a newspaper article, a copy of which was found in Post records. No author is named, and identification of the Newspaper is unknown at this time. 

Lester B. Pickering Post # 102 Founded

The Lester B. Pickering Post # 102 received its charter on January 30, 1922 at Duvall, Washington. Thirty-one names appear on the original charter and include:

Lester Burns, Leo Dougherty, Keith Wissell, Eric L. Adolfson, John K. Ronnei, August Westman, Roland Adolphson, Carl D. Westman, Albert Westman, Will J. Jones, Willard Harris, Wilbert M. Grainer, Ira Rishel, Walter Ellis, Fritz Colsen, Albin Colsen, Freddie Colsen, Willis R. Taylor, Leon E. Herzog, Robert Leake, Earl Button, Dan C. Brown, Chas F. Schuler, Joe S. Noonan, C. Beadon Hall, Troy D. Walker, Semour Hillier, Ira R. Maupin, Claude V. Martin, Marione Walters, and Walter Mr. Goodwin.

The first Post Commander of the Pickering Post # 102 was Claude Pickering.

David Renton

In 1894 on their heavily timbered claim on the North Fork, to David Renton and his wife was born a son, young Dave.

At the time, life was pretty rugged in the Upper Valley. Dave attended elementary school in the old North Fork schoolhouse but a good share of his education was obtained in the woods he loved so well.

Ted Boalch remembers him at the age of 15 pulling a “Swedish fiddle” (buck-saw) on a cottonwood pulp job. He got as far away as Montana on a railroad construction job once but he soon came back to the Valley to work on a survey screw or in a logging camp. When the urge to enlist got him in 1917 he and Bob Johnson were in the woods near Skyhomish; they came back to Snoqualmie and with Earl Odell and Jim Mattaal went into Seattle, enlisted in the 20th Engineers, and were shipped to Washington, D.C. for outfitting and training.

Dave was in isolation with the measles and was left behind when Bob, Jim, Earl and their outfit sailed for France in December.

Ill-fated Voyage

In January Dave had recovered from the measles and was assigned to the sixth battalion of the 20th, for shipment overseas. About the 22nd the outfit boarded the old Anchor liner, “Tuscania,” and with a convoy headed out to sea from New York. The destination was Liverpool, but before they reached it disaster struck. On the evening of February 6th , while passing through the north channel of the Irish Sea between Scotland and Ireland, the Tuscania was picked off by a German submarine, which broke through the convoy to score a torpedo hit amidships. The Tuscania floated about three hours before going under.

Dave Renton, like many of the others, got off in a lifeboat. They didn’t realize that wind and tide were taking them toward the cliffs of the Isle of Islay, off the western coast of Scotland. Most of those not picked up by midnight were smashed on the rocks, with almost 100 percent loss of life. Dave was in one of these boats.

Luckier were other local boys who were also on the Tuscania’s ill-fated crossing. Charlie Hanson was in one of the lifeboats picked up by an English trawler doing rescue work for the English Navy. Joe Knott, then a resident of Monroe and later the chief of the Institute of Agricultural Science at Pullman, was also on the ship, as well as Charlie Cabe of North Bend.

About four years later Dave Renton’s body was returned to the States and buried with military honors in that resting place of heroes, Arlington National Cemetery, just across the Potomac from the scene of his army camp life.

Note: The information above was condensed from a newspaper article, a copy of which was found in Post records. No author is named, and identification of the Newspaper is unknown at this time.

David Renton Post # 79 Founded

The David Renton Post # 79 received its charter on December 12, 1919 at North Bend, Washington. Thirty names appear on the original charter and include:

Grover Sams, Earl J. Robinson, Frank W. Robinson, Bernard Way, H.D. Gardiner, Geo. McClellon, R.L. Hillyer, Roy E. Carlin, E.S. Hill, George H. Schuchzer, T.E. Peck, Frank R. Smith, C.R. Norris, Owen Carlin, Jesse J. Patterson, Henry C. Grotewahl, Thos. F. Murphy, Leon C. Tilden, Harold E. Linton, George A. Kelley, Chas. B. Williams, Daniel M. Lawson, Otto F. Waller, Charles Dano, Arthur D. Branan, Charles S. Cowan, W.K. Gardiner, Harold McConbey, A.V. Cook, and Scott Wilbur.

The charter is signed by the first National Commander of The American Legion, Franklin D’Olier of Pennsylvania, and the first National Adjutant, Lemuel Bolles of Washington State.

The first Post Commander of the Renton Post # 79 was Tracy Orville Peck, and the first Adjutant was Loy E. Carlin. Other Post Commanders in those early years were: Ray Hillyer, Scott Wilbur and Ludwig Fitzberd. 

Posts 79 and 102 Merge

These two Valley Posts had some hard sledding in the first few years after their organization. In 1924, a consolidation movement was started which culminated in the formation of an organization carrying the names of both Dave Renton and Lester Pickering. This consolidated organization was chartered on September 14, 1925 as Renton-Pickering Post # 79 The American Legion at Fall City, Washington. Fifteen names appear on this charter and include: C. Beadon Hall, Lester Burns, M. Hubbard, J.I. Miller, R.L. Hillyer, C.C. Parker, Harry R. Bidlake, H.C. McConkey, L.C. Jones, Ludwig Fitzberg, Marion Walters, H.D. Gardiner, Jess Kelley, Ross H. Forman and J.H. Adams.

The Renton-Pickering Post # 79, initially held meetings in the Masonic Lodge for a year or so and then acquired the old Methodist Church in Snoqualmie, moved it across the street and converted it into the present American Legion hall at 38625 River Street in Snoqualmie.

American Legion Post # 79

A duplicate charter, validating the original was reissued on May 7, 1941 at Fall City, Washington.

Early officers of the consolidated Post included: 

Compiled by Earl C. Hoffstrom, Post Historian, 1943-45. 

The American Legion Auxiliary Unit # 79

Renton-Picking Unit No. 79, American Legion Auxiliary received its charter at Fall City, Washington on October 30, 1925. It was formed by the joining of two previous Units: Renton of North Bend and Pickering of Duvall. The former was founded in 1919, the latter in 1922. Initially they met in Fall City, and then in 1925 moved to Snoqualmie under the present name. 

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