35th Annual Tales Tombstones Tell - Self Guided Tour
Welcome, history enthusiasts and curious minds! We're thrilled to invite you on a virtual journey through time with our self-guided tour of the 35th anniversary "Tales Tombstones Tell." This blog series will take you on a captivating exploration of local history, one gravestone at a time. Each post features the script and an accompanying video recording from a different stop on the cemetery walk, allowing you to experience the rich stories and forgotten tales etched in stone. Whether you're a longtime resident or a newcomer to our community, prepare to uncover the fascinating lives, triumphs, and tragedies of those who came before us. Let's embark on this historical adventure together, as we bring the past to life through the whispers of our Oakwood cemetery.
Soldiers and Sailors Monument
Interpreter: Mike Ferguson
Stop Five
Good evening. Tonight you are hearing the stories about some of the people who have shaped our community over the past 175 years and that story cannot be told without talking about the many West Chicagoans who have served in the military. I stand alongside those brave men and women as a veteran. And as an veteran I know how important it is to pay tribute to those who have served, but perhaps even more important to honor those who were killed during that service.
This large monument we stand in front of is the only one of its kind here in West Chicago. On this parcel of land we honor those killed during war. Called the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, it was dedicated in 1915 through the efforts of the West Chicago Woman’s Club after the Oakwood Cemetery Association granted the use of a large lot for the monument.
Money for the monument was raised by subscriptions from residents of the community, donations by school children, collecting Savoy can labels (like current day Campbell Soup labels), and other special fundraisers. In fact, the first source of income came from a Woman’s Club travelogue program on the Pacific Northwest that raised twenty-five dollars.
“It will be in honor not only of those who rest in West Chicago, but all who have called it ‘home’ and of those who lie in unmarked graves,” said the West Chicago Press in 1914. The community has always known how important it was to pay tribute.
The base of the monument was shipped in the spring of 1915, and the formal dedication of the monument was planned for Decoration Day (Memorial Day) May 30, 1915. Less than a month before the dedication, the news came from Vermont, where the stone was being cut, that there would be a delay. Every stone cutter and polisher was out on strike and weeks had elapsed without signs of settlement. We know the dedication was delayed, but we do not know when it finally occurred. A fact lost to history.
Cannonballs from the Rock Island Arsenal were sent and were arranged in pyramids on either side of the steps, but sadly due to vandalism those have disappeared.
Note the crossed swords on the stone honoring those who died in the Civil War. The dead that were being honored were those fighting in a time of hand-to-hand combat. Little did the community know at the time of the monument’s dedication that the United States was soon to enter a war involving a multitude of nations and modern weapons—World War I.
For those of you who are familiar with this monument, you know that it has had big changes over its history. Since this is the gathering place for services on Memorial Day, the West Chicago Lions Club had the idea to add a new base and new steps as a service project. The Lions drew up a plan and solicited donations from local veterans organizations as well as private donors.
Not only is the base aesthetically pleasing, it also provides a secure base for the monument, which had been suffering erosion. A 16” concrete footing was placed under the floor of Barre (pronounced Barry) granite, the same granite used for the existing monument. The base and new steps were completed in time for the Memorial Day ceremonies in 2012. The monument stands as just one way our community honors our veterans. Please look out for the Veterans street pole banners which will be going up soon in downtown West Chicago and when you can support our local VFW and American Legion. And a big thank you to any fellow veteran attending here tonight. Thank you