Marker Monday: The Soldiers’ Monument

 

Marker Text


On March 27, 1879, George G. Meade Post 19, Grand Army of the Republic, Department of Nebraska, was founded in Sutton by twenty former Union soldiers. The G.A.R. was a national fraternal organization created to provide for the welfare of Union veterans of the Civil War, their widows and orphans, and to keep alive memories of wartime sacrifices. The G.A.R. held annual encampments and reunions, organized Memorial Day ceremonies, and was active in politics.

 

By 1890, 448 Union veterans lived in Clay County. In 1894 the Union Soldiers’ Monument and Memorial Association of Sutton was formed to erect a monument to veterans. The association petitioned the government for surplus cannon and received two 24-pounder flank howitzers cast by Cyrus Alger and Company of Boston in 1863. The howitzers arrived from Fort Montgomery, N.Y., in 1900. In 1909, a granite base was laid that included the names of area Civil War veterans, but the monument was never finished. In 2001 a bronze statue of a Civil War soldier, commissioned and paid for by community members, completed the monument.

 

Location


400-498 N Saunders Ave, Sutton, Clay County, Nebraska; 40.610008, -97.85935

You May Also Enjoy

Send a Valentine to your Valentine from Valentine: History of the Cachet Program

Send a Valentine to your Valentine from Valentine: History of the Cachet Program

Beaten and Battered: Conservation of a Field Drum, War of 1812

Beaten and Battered: Conservation of a Field Drum, War of 1812

Marker Monday: DeWitty – An African American Settlement in the Sandhills

Marker Monday: DeWitty – An African American Settlement in the Sandhills

About NSHS

The Nebraska State Historical Society was founded in 1878 by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed NSHS from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Director Daryl Bohac. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for NSHS.

Explore Nebraska

Discover the real places and people of our past at these NSHS sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of NSHS members.

NSHS Education

Learn more about the educational programs provided at our museums, sites, and online.

Education Digital Learning Resources

Find games, lists, and more to enhance your history education curriculum.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast!

Nebraska Collections

NSHS's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

NSHS's Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

NSHS Services

Digital Resources

Find all of our digital resources, files, videos, and more, all in one easy-to-search page!

Support The Historical Society

Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to the Nebraska State Historical Society help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of NSHS.

Volunteers are the heroes of NSHS. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.