Grand Army of the Republic Seeks Final Resting Place for Veterans
Local veterans launch an effort to move honorably discharged soldiers from 'pauper’s fields' to a proper monument in the Masonic Cemetery.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The members of Stevens Post, G. A. R., have inaugurated the worthy undertaking of providing a suitable burial place for the remains of those who sacrificed their health and lives for their country. The remains of two honorably discharged Union soldiers currently repose in the county's pauper field, a state of affairs the Grand Army hopes to rectify by securing four lots in the Masonic cemetery. They plan to enclose the site with stone curbing and erect a monument. The organization is asking for small, popular contributions from citizens to ensure the effort is successful and not a burden on any one individual.
“When it is stated that the remains of two honorably discharged Union soldiers now repose in the pauper's field in this county, the need of such an enterprise will be readily seen and appreciated.”
This civic effort reflects the ongoing struggle in American cities to recognize the dignity of those who served, a sentiment that still drives monument and cemetery preservation efforts in the Pacific Northwest today.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.