The 152nd Old Soldiers and Sailors Reunion closed out Saturday. Friday was the annual free bean feed at the courthouse lawn in Erie. Volunteers from the George L. Hendricks Post No. 102 of the American Legion worked most of the day on Friday to prepare for the feed, starting the fires under the cauldrons at 11 a.m. Craig Locke (kneeling) and Randy Locke were starting these fires. There were 49 cauldrons filled with 1,200 pounds of navy beans, as well as onions and bacon, salt and pepper, a recipe that’s spanned decades. The Old Soldiers and Sailors Reunion is the oldest continuous military reunion in the nation, according to a plaque placed on the courthouse lawn. The festival started in 1873 for soldiers who fought in the Civil War and their families. Ray Nolting/Sun photo
