Unveiling Monument, Library Park

Photographer

Thiers, Louis Milton, 1858-1950

Date

• May 30, 1900

Summary

• Library Park, May 30th, 1900. This monument to Civil War veterans was a gift to the city of Kenosha by Zalmon G. Simmons and cost over twenty thousand dollars. It was unveiled on Decoration Day at the same time the Simmons Library was dedicated. The photograph shows the parting of the flag, just after the cord had been pulled by Miss Elizabeth Simmons, granddaughter of Mr. Simmons, the donor. The work was created and erected by the William H. Morse Company of Barre, Vermont. It was the largest single piece of granite ever brought into Wisconsin. The size of the base is thirty-six feet in diameter, and the monument rises to a height of over seventy feet. The crowning figure is an allegorical statue of "Winged Victory," the Greek goddess Nike. Newspaper stories of the day, and other sources, have mentioned individuals associated with the planning, design, and execution of this monument. However, no individual would ever be mentioned as designing a monument at this time. Pieces were identified solely by the company of origin, and the stoneworkers and sculptors were not permitted to sign or initial their work.