Rock Island, IL: The Civil War memorial at the Rock Island County Courthouse has seen better days, but organizers of a local monument restoration project hope to change that.
You can learn more about Restoring Rock Island's Civil War Monument at 3:00 pm Wednesday, Feb. 25 at Rock Island Main Library, 401 19th Street. Project organizers Doug Lambert, Quad City Civil War Roundtable, and Lt. Ron Ericson, a Rock Island County deputy sheriff, will present a history and images of the badly weathered memorial, discuss the need for saving it, and list local soldiers honored on the memorial. Questions and answers will follow. The program will last about an hour.
In July 2014, the life-sized marble soldier at the top of the memorial was lifted off the pedestal base after observers noted the statue had moved several inches off center. Since then, the 1,200 pound statue has been secured in a frame next to the 18-foot marble column. According to a report prepared by Diane Oestreich of the Rock Island County Preservation Society, more than 30,000 people gathered at the statue's unveiling in 1869. Rock Island's statue is an original work. It was commissioned especially for the county from artist Leonard Volk, one of two sculptors to model Abraham Lincoln from life, and a later founder of the Chicago Academy of Design.
The Restoring Rock Island's Civil War Monument program is free and open to the public. For more upcoming library events, visit library locations or the website at www.rockislandlibrary.org, follow Rock Island Library on Facebook or Twitter or call 309-732-READ (7323).
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