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This photograph depicts the Fulton Myers Post 153 American Legion located on North Mechanic Street in Cumberland. It was named for Fulton J. Myers (1890-1918), a young black soldier serving in the 351st Field Artillery who died at Camp Meade (later known as Fort George Meade) in Maryland.
The following is an excerpt from Cumberland, Maryland Through The Eyes of Herman J. Miller
"On September 12, 1919, the Black soldiers that marched in the soldiers’ homecoming parade were a credit to themselves, to their friends, and to their race. They received great applause all along the line of march.
After the parade they were given a chicken dinner in the basement of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. At night Frederick Street was roped off from Decatur to Linden Street and the soldiers and their friends danced to the music furnished by Professor Cromwell's and Professor Snowden's orchestras, and the South End Band, until the wee hours of the morning."
Fulton Myers Post #153 of the American Legion received its temporary charter on August 12, 1942, and its permanent charter on March 16, 1945. William F. Jones served as the first Post Commander, and Otho Simms as the first Adjutant. The post was closed during the summer of 2008. As shown elsewhere on this website, the building was razed in October 2011.
UPDATE August 2019: According to an article appearing in the Journal of the Alleghenies, VOL. LV – 2019, by Bonnie Fairgrieve Miller, "Fulton J. Myers died from an accidental gunshot wound. This occurred on May 22, 1918 when a rifle accidentally discharged while being cleaned by a fellow private sitting next to him." The article further states that the Fulton Myers Post was formed in 1922. This possibly conflicts with my information. The sources for the Journal article are not identified. My information on the dates of the Fulton J. Myers Post comes from The American Legion, Department of Maryland.
Also note the photograph of the Fulton Myers Post in the Journal article is the same one which appears on this website page which I took some years ago.