Post 291 was founded in 1924 by a group of thirty World War I veterans who were residents of the Newport Harbor area. They held an organizational meeting in the quarters of the Balboa Chamber of Commerce. The group elected as their first Commander, Raymond Hitchcock Brunswick.The new hut was built almost entirely by volunteer labor provided by Post 291 Legionnaires and took about two months to complete. The first meeting was held in the new hut on December 2, 1925.