In Philadelphia, the Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon closes

Although the Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon initially closed in August 1865, it reopened in late fall in order to serve the remaining troops returning home from the South before shutting its doors permanently in December 1865.  The establishment served about nine hundred thousand soldiers total during the Civil War. (By Brenna McKelvey) 
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Spencer Fullerton Baird is appointed secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

Upon Joseph Henry’s death, the Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents appointed Spencer Baird as the secretary of the Smithsonian Institution on May 17, 1878. Baird acted as the Smithsonian’s secretary for nine years until retiring to Wood’s Hole, Massachusetts in 1887. (By Rebecca Solnit)
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In Philadelphia, the Cooper Shop Volunteer Refreshment Saloon closes its doors

On August 28, 1865 the Cooper Shop Volunteer Refreshment Saloon and Hospital officially closed.  The 32nd U.S. Colored Troops and the 104th Penn. became the final two regiments that received service at the Cooper Shop before it closed its doors at around twelve noon.  The saloon served about four hundred thousand soldiers throughout the course of the war. (By Brenna McKelvey)
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Congress incorporates Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

President James K. Polk signed the Smithsonian Institution’s Bill of Incorporation on August 10, 1846 after it was approved by Congress. The bill included the provision that the Institution should include an art gallery, library, and museum. The Smithsonian was funded by the bequest of the Englishman James Smithson. (By Rebecca Solnit)
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The Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon opens in Philadelphia

The Union Volunteer Refreshment Saloon opened on May 27, 1861 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on the corner of Washington Avenue and Swanson Street.  With the help of Samuel B. Fales, Barzilai S. Brown’s storefront was expanded to accommodate a large number of sick, wounded, and hungry Union troops.  (By Brenna McKelvey)
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In Philadelphia, the Cooper Shop Volunteer Refreshment Saloon opens

The Cooper Shop Volunteer Refreshment Saloon opened on May 26, 1861 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on Otsego Street near the Delaware River.  Under the leadership of proprietor William M. Cooper, the Cooper Shop served soldiers moving through the city on the way to and from the front.  The saloon was directed by a committee and sustained by volunteer donations. (By Brenna McKelvey)
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Spencer Fullerton Baird is appointed assistant secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

The Smithsonian Institution’s Board of Regents approved Joseph Henry’s proposed appointment of Spencer Baird as the assistant secretary and curator of the Smithsonian Institution on July 5, 1850. Baird received letters of recommendation from several influential politicians including George P. Marsh and James Buchanan. Within Baird’s first decade at the Smithsonian, the Institution’s natural science specimens increased from 6,000 to 150,000 catalogued items. (By Rebecca Solnit)
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