USA > Ohio > Cuyahoga County > History of the Cuyahoga County soldiers' and sailors' monument > Part 2
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"SEC. 3. Said original section two and said original section one, as amended February 4, ISSI, are hereby repealed.
"SEC. 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.
"A. D. MARSH,
"Speaker of the House of Representatives.
"JOHN G. WARWICK, " President of the Senate. "Passed April 22, ISS5."
Senator Williams was subsequently tendered a unan- imous vote of thanks, on behalf of the three thousand Soldiers of the county, for his prompt action and per- sonal attention given to the request of the Committee.
1
Copyright by the Sculptor, 1890.
STATUE OF "LIBERTY."
III.
D URING the years 1885 and 1886, there was a spirited but amicable controversy among the ex- Soldiers and Sailors of the county as to the style of the Memorial. Some favored a monument, or shaft ; others a memorial hall. For the purpose of giving general satisfaction, the Monument Committee held the matter open for a year, and gave notice to all ex-Soldiers that the question would be decided by ballot at the reunion to be held in Bedford on June 17th, 1886. This reunion was largely attended. Lively and interesting speeches were made by a number of Comrades, and, after a full and free discussion, the vote resulted in a very decisive majority in favor of a Memorial Monument, with a towering shaft.
Pending the slow, but sure, accumulation of the money raised by the collection of the tax levy for the Monument Fund, the site originally recommended and desired for the location of the structure was lost to the Committee. The intention was to round off the four corners of the different sections of the Public Square, and erect the Monument in the center, at the junction of Superior and Ontario Streets. The street railroad corporations, however, were active in the scheme of obtaining all of the best streets in the city for the pur- pose of occupying the same with their tracks; and, before the Committee were ready to proceed with the work of construction, they gained control of Superior and Ontario Streets through the Square, thus depriving the Monument of the best location in the county.
Several meetings were held by the Committee, late
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HISTORY OF THE CUYAHOGA COUNTY
in 1886 and early in 1887. On January 29th, 1887, the Chairman of the Committee and Comrades Levi F. Bauder, C. C. Dewstoe, J. B. Molyneaux and James Hayr, and County Commissioner George A. Schlatter- beck, were appointed a Subcommittee to select and report a suitable site for the Monument. This Com- mittee met, and made a personal tour in examination of the different points thought of or suggested to them. After carefully taking into consideration the merits of the several places inspected on the East, West, and South Sides of the City, and Lake View Park on the north, the Committee named unanimously reported in favor of locating the Monument on the southeast sec- tion of the Public Square. The General Committee approved and adopted said report without a dissenting voice. At this meeting, also, the General Committee appointed Comrades James Barnett, J. J. Elwell, J. B. Molyneaux, Levi T. Scofield, Levi F. Bauder, and the Chairman a Subcommittee to prepare or procure a design for the Monument.
A resolution offered by Comrade Molyneaux, sec- onded by Comrade Elwell, was introduced, as follows :
" Resolved, That Captain Levi T. Scofield be requested to submit to the Committee a plan for a Soldiers' Monument, to be subject to such suggestions or alterations as may be agreed upon by the Com- mittee; it being understood, however, that nothing in this resolu- tion shall be construed as to, in any way, commit or bind this Com- mittee to the acceptance or adoption of such design or plan.".
The resolution was adopted.
Comrade Scofield proceeded to comply with the resolution, and, in due time, prepared and presented a design for the proposed Monument. Important changes in the same were suggested from time to time, as are shown in the description of the Monument herein pub- lished. When the work was properly advanced to begin the erection of the structure, the Subcommittee on site
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SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' MONUMENT.
called upon the Park Commissioners of the City, and informed them, officially, of the location selected. The meeting at which this action was taken was held on the 17th day of May, 1887. Several meetings of the Park Commissioners and Monument Committee ensued. On June 14th of the same year, the following communica- tion was received :
"CITY OF CLEVELAND, (., - "OFFICE OF THE PARK COMMISSIONERS, "JUNE 14th, 1887.
"To W. J. GLEASON, Chairman of the Soldiers' Monument Com- mittee.
" DEAR SIR :- The Commissioners, having had your proposition and request under consideration, find some objections to the site selected, and, while these objections may not be insuperable, we are averse to giving your Commission a final answer until further con- sideration can be given to the question. These objections apply only to the quarter of the Square selected by your Commission. Should either of the other quarters be determined upon, the Com- missioners would not hesitate in giving a ready consent; or should the intersection of Superior and Ontario Streets be selected, the Commissioners would consent to such changes as might be neces- sary to widen the roadways around the Monument."
"By order of the Commissioners,
"W. H. ECKMAN, Secretary."
Several subsequent meetings were held with the Park Commissioners, but no definite conclusion was reached.
Let it be borne in mind that, from the commence- ment of the Monument project up to this time, the only objections to the site selected came from the Park Commissioners, as stated in their communication, and from Judge Samuel E. Williamson, a property owner
# [At this date, the street railroad corporations had their rails laid through the streets named, by virtue of a City ordinance and the consent of the Park Commissioners, giving them a free franchise for twenty-five years; hence the offer of the Commissioners, made in the latter clause of their communication, could not be carried out by them .- W. J. G.]
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HISTORY OF THE CUYAHOGA COUNTY
on the corner of Euclid Avenue and the Public Square. On the 3d of October, of the same year, the latter filed the following letter with the Park Commissioners :
" 1. WW OFFICE OF " WILLIAMSON, BEACH & CUSHING. " MERCHANTS BANK BUILDING.
"CLEVELAND, O., OCTOBER 3rd. ISS ;.
"A. H. STONE, Eso., President of Park Commissioners, City.
"DEAR SIR :- Information has reached me that some gentlemen especially interested in the matter of the Monument to the Soldiers and Sailors seriously propose to have the Monument erected upon the southeast corner of the Public Square, and they are likely to ask the consent of your Board to this location.
"I minst very earnestly protest against such use of the Public Square. I may as well say frankly, at the outset, that my father's family own property upon the corner of Euclid Avenue and the Park ; and as such a structure as is proposed will substantially occupy all that part of the Park lying cast of Ontario Street and south of Superior Street, it will substantially couvert what is now a front upon the Park into a mere front upon a street, and thus very ma- terially unpair the value of the property in which we are interested. I should therefore be compelled to avail myself of such legal rights as I may have, if you should give your consent to the location.
"I am confident, however, that when the matter is thoroughly understood, you will not consent to have the Monument placed in the Public Square; and that the gentlemen who have made the ap- plication will not press it. The fact that it will completely close the view from Enelid Avenue across the Square ought to be a sufficient reason for refusing the application ; but there are other reasons still more weighty. It will close the walk across that part of the Square. which is a great convenience to thousands of citizens, and was never thoroughly appreciated nutil the Square was fenced in, some years ago. It would dwarf the Monument itself, which is to be of such proportions that it ought to be placed on a much larger tract of land: but most of all, it would substantially reduce by one-fourth the dimensions of a park which probably gives more enjoyment and comfort to the people of this city than any other one thing in it:
" But. even if it were expedient, in view of all the circumstances, to use the Park in the manner proposed, I believe that you have no right to do so. To introduce a few statues for ornamentation is doubtless within your powers, but it is, at least, doubtful whether
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SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS MONUMENT.
you would have the right to permit the creation of a Court House or City Hall, or any other building for purely publie purposes and, in my judgment, it is entirely clear that you have not the right to permil the erection of a building not to be under your control and not to be used for a strictly public purpose.
"I have stated my views of the matter very briefly, but, perhaps sufficiently to bring them to your attention If, however, youshould conclude that it is expedient to allow the erection of the Monument, as is proposed and have doubts as to your legal rights in the matter, I shall be very glad to be heard upon that subject before you come to final decision.
"Very re pectfully yours, "SAMLE WILLIAMSON.
In the several conferences with the Park Commis- sioners the latter body never flatly objected to the site selected; never absolutely refused their consent. They simply withheld their permission, and, with excuse after excuse, kept putting the Committee off, invariably ex- pressing the hope and desire that the Monument Com- mittee would take and occupy either of the other three sections of the Public Square.
Every meeting of the Committee was open to the public. The reporters of the city newspapers were present. All of its proceedings were published. Not one newspaper objected to the site selected. Not one citizen objected, either orally or in writing, in private or public, so far as the Monument Committee ever heard or learned. On the other hand, the monument project and the site selected were universally approved by all of the newspapers and the people of the city and comity.
The genuine objection to the site, as recognized by the Monument Committee, and subsequently by the Commission, was frankly stated by Hon. J. H. Wade, President of the Board of Park Commissioners, at one of the early meetings with the Committee when the question of location was still in controversy. He said, in substance: "That in his opinion, Cleveland was
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HISTORY OF THE CUYAHOGA COUNTY
destined to be a great and populous city ; the down-town streets would be so crowded by people that more room would be required ; the increase of street car travel would be so large that the cars would need more out- lets. So far as he was personally concerned, he strongly favored the extension of Euclid Avenue through the south- east section of the Public Square, joining with Superior Street, so that the street cars would have a direct route." All future events clearly demonstrated that the feeling thus emphatically expressed was the real power behind the throne, even though the object was endeavored to be disguised by interested parties, so far as the general public were concerned.
During the prolonged and numerous conferences with the Park Commissioners, all conducted in the seen- ingly most friendly spirit, no determination was reached. Sincerely feeling that the location selected was the best and most desirable one to be had in the county, the Committee concluded that the time had arrived to pro- ceed on business principles, so that we might accom- plish the object for which we were selected.
Early in 1888, the Committee was deprived of the further services of two of its original and esteemed members, Comrades W. F. Goodspeed and E. H. Eg- gleston. The former gave up his residence in the county, having moved with his family to Columbus, O., to go into business there ; the latter, owing to pressing engagements and ill health, did not have the necessary time to give attention to the duties of his position. The resignations tendered by these Comrades were re- ceived with regret. Their valuable aid in the prelimi- nary work of the Committee was earnest and cordial, and, as the project advanced in future years, their per- sonal interest and influence never ceased.
IV.
SI 'LIGHT differences of opinion had also arisen be- tween the County Commissioners and the Com- mittee in relation to authority or separate jurisdiction, under the law, in connection with the manner of pro- curing plans for the Monument. To obviate any further dispute with the Park Commissioners or the County Commissioners, the Committee requested Com- rade Allen T. Brinsmade, then City Solicitor, to draft a bill setting aside the southeast section of the Public Square as the location for the Moment, excluding the County Commissioners from future jurisdiction, and creating the Cuyahoga County Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument Commission, giving them full power to pre- pare plans and proceed with the construction of the Mon- ument. Fully realizing the importance of the measure, and desiring to have it perfect, Comrade Brinsmade called to his aid Judge Rufus P. Ranney and Judge Seneca O. Griswold. These eminent lawyers were ardent friends of the Monument Committee and of the site selected by them, and freely gave their brilliant services in the preparation of the bill. The result of the high order of talent engaged in the work success- fully withstood all assaults subsequently brought against it in the several courts through which it passed. When the bill was completed, it was transmitted to Representative and Comrade William T. Clark, by whom it was presented and passed through the House. Senator and Comrade Vincent A. Taylor took charge of it in the Senate, and had it made law on the 16th day of April, 1888, as follows:
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HISTORY OF THE CUYAHOGA COUNTY
" [House Bill No. 462.]
"AN ACT
"Supplementary to an act entitled, 'An act to authorize the County Commissioners of Cuyahoga County to build a Monument or Me- morial Tablet commemorative of the deceased Soldiers and Sailors of said county, and to purchase a site therefor,' passed April 2d, ISSo (vol. 77, p. 368), as amended April 22d, 1885 (vol. S2, p. 368), and to repeal section two (2) of said last mentioned act.
"SECTION I. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio, That there be and hereby is created a Board of Commis- sioners, to be called the Monumental Commissioners of Cuyahoga County, to be composed of twelve persons, who shall be resident electors of said county, and members of the present Monumental Committee of the Cuyahoga County Soldiers' and Sailors' Union, to be appointed by the Governor of the State of Ohio, by and with the consent of the Senate, and shall hold their term for five years, or until the Monument or structure herein provided for shall be completed, and shall perform the duties and exercise the powers prescribed by this act ; and any vacancy occurring in said Board shall, at the next annual meeting thereafter of the Cuyahoga County Soldiers' and Sailors' Union, be filled by such union selecting a member having the qualifications herein prescribed, who shall take an oath as prescribed in the next succeeding section.
"SECTION 2. That upon the appointment and confirmation of said Commissioners, they shall each take an oath to well and truly perform the duties imposed upon them by this act, and shall organ- ize by selecting one of their number as President, another as Secre- tary, and an Executive Committee of five, of whom the President of said Board shall be one, and ex officio Chairman.
"SECTION 3. Said Board of Monument Commissioners, when duly organized, shall have full power to select a place for the proposed Monument, and shall have the exclusive control of the building of said Monument, and the plan for the same, and are empowered to have designs and models prepared, and are hereby authorized, if they so determine, to locate the site of such Monument on the southeast side of the " Public Square " so called, at the junction of Superior and Ontario Streets in the City of Cleveland, and in case they so determine, the Park Commissioners of said City are hereby authorized and required on demand in writing by said Commission- ers, at the expense of said City, to remove the monument of Com- modore Perry, now in said southeast corner of said Square, to some other square or public park in said City, and all other obstructions therein ; but if the said Board of Monument Commissioners do not determine to locate the site for said Monument in said southeast
SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' MONUMENT.
square of said Public Square, they are authorized to purchase or procure any other site for the same within said county.
"SECTION 4. Said Board of Monument Commissioners having determined upon a site for said structure as herein authorized, shall determine upon a plan for such monument or structure, and are authorized to contract with the lowest and best responsible bidder, for either the whole or any part of the work, or they may, in their discretion, contract for the same by the day's work or piece ; pro- vided, however, the entire cost of the same and any expense of the Commissioners shall not exceed the amount already authorized by this act to be levied for the same, and provided further, that said Board of Monument Commissioners are authorized to receive dona- tions in money and materials for said structure, or time or services of any person or persons, the amount and value of which shall not be computed in the amount of the total cost hereinbefore provided, nor any interest that may be received, but shall be in addition thereto.
"SECTION 5. The said Board of Monument Commissioners are also hereby authorized to appropriate for temporary use, at the commencement of and during the progress of their work, any pub- lic property of the County of Cuyahoga or of the City of Cleveland, which may at the time be vacant, and to erect temporary structures thereon in which work for the Monument can be prepared, and to have heat and light furnished free upon application of said Board of Commissioners, from any public building of either the said. county or city, in ample quantity for such temporary structure which may be contiguous to such public building.
"SECTION 6. The County Commissioners of Cuyahoga County are hereby authorized and directed, upon the passage of this act, to loan out to the various banks of the City of Cleveland, on approved security and at a rate of interest not less than three per centum per annum, the money collected for the purposes herein mentioned, and to be collected under the levy authorized by this act, and the interest thereon shall be placed to the credit of the fund to be used for the building of said structure, and the Auditor of Cuyahoga County is authorized and required to draw a warrant on the Treas- urer of said County from time to time for the money by said Treas- urer collected for the purpose herein stated, in order that the said Commissioners may invest the same as herein provided; such inter- est as may be received from such investment shall not be charged to said Commissioners as a part of said original fund, but shall be an additional fund to that received under the several levies as pro- vided by law, and shall be used in the building of the structure herein contemplated, and such entire fund shall be subject to the drafts of said Board of Monument Commissioners.
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HISTORY OF THE CUYAHOGA COUNTY
"SECTION 7. The Board of Monument Commissioners shall have power and are hereby authorized as the work on the Monument or structure by them determined upon progresses, to make drafts upon the Auditor of said County, to pay for such work done and materials furnished under their direction, such drafts to be signed by a ma- jority of the Executive Committee of said Board, countersigned by its Secretary, and upon receiving such drafts said Auditor shall draw his warrant upon the Treasurer of Cuyahoga County for the amount of such drafts; and the said County Commissioners are hereby authorized and required to withdraw any portion of the money invested by them as herein provided, as the work on such structure progresses, and place the same in the County Treasury to the credit of the Monument Fund; and the Secretary of said Board of Monument Commissioners is hereby required to give said County Commissioners reasonable notice in writing of the inten- tion of said Monument Commissioners to make drafts on the County Auditor for money for such work or material. Upon the completion of the Monument or structure, the said Board of Monu- ment Commissioners shall turn the same over to the Park Commis- sioners of said City or other properly constituted authorities per- forming like duties, who shall thereafter care for the same and the grounds surrounding, and who shall be empowered to employ an ex-Soldier as an attendant and guardian of such Monument at a rea- sonable compensation, and such attendant shall be vested with the ordinary powers of a policeman ; and upon the completion of such Monument or structure, and after the same shall have been turned over as herein provided, the duties and powers of said Board of Monument Commissioners shall cease, and all balances of the Monument Fund unexpended after the Monument is completed and dedicated shall be turned over to the General Fund of Cuyahoga County.
" SECTION S. That section two, as amended April 22d, 1885 (vol. 82, O. 1 .. , pp. 368 and 369), be and the same is hereby repealed.
"SECTION 9. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.
" ELBERT L. LAMPSON,
" Speaker of the House of Representatives. " THEO. F. DAVIS, " President pro tem. of the Senate.
" Passed April 16, 18SS."
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SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' MONUMENT.
Pursuant to this act of the General Assembly of Ohio, Comrade and Governor Joseph B. Foraker appointed the following Comrades as the Board of Monument Commissioners of Cuyahoga County :
WILLIAM J. GLEASON, EDWARD H. BOHM, EMORY W. FORCE, LEVI T. SCOFIELD, LEVI F. BAUDER,
JAMES BARNETT, CHARLES C. DEWSTOR,
J. J. ELWELL, JOSEPH B. MOLYNEAUX,
JAMES HAYR, R. W. WALTERS, M. D. LEGGETT.
V.
T HE Board of Monument Commissioners, having received their commissions from the Governor of the State, held their first meeting in the office of the Board of Elections, City of Cleveland, on May 16th, 1888. Their term of enlistment was for five years, or ("during the war") until the completion of the Monument. We clip the proceedings of the initial meeting from the Leader of May 17th :
" The first meeting of the Cuyahoga County Soldiers' Monumental Commission was held yesterday afternoon . ... in the rooms of the Board of Elections. The Commis- sion was appointed under an act of the Legislature, passed on April 16th, 1888. Those present were Major W. J. Gleason, Captain E. H. Bohm, Emory W. Force, Captain Levi T. Scofield, General James Barnett, Gen- eral J. J. Elwell, Captain Levi F. Bauder, James Hayr, C. C. Dewstoe, Captain J. B. Molyneaux and General M. D. Leggett. The only absentee was Dr. R. W. Walters, of Chagrin Falls.
"A temporary organization was formed yesterday afternoon by making Major W. J. Gleason Chairman, and Captain Levi F. Bauder Secretary. The bill creat- ing the Commission was read, and the Commissioners were given the oath of office by Mr. Bauder, he in turn being sworn in by Captain Bohm. Acting upon the suggestion of Mr. Emory Force, the Commission pro- ceeded to a permanent organization. Major W. J. Gleason was nominated for Chairman, and was unani- monsly elected. He made a few remarks in which he said it would be his highest ambition to hasten the
Copyright by the Sculptor, 1890.
BRONZE INFANTRY GROUP, "THE COLOR GUARD."
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SOLDIERS' AND SAILORS' MONUMENT.
completion of the Monument. He thought that a shaft should be erected which would be a pride to every man, woman and child in the county, and a fitting tribute to the memory of the boys of the Rebellion. Levi F. Bander was elected as permanent Secretary, and the following Executive Committee, of which the President is a member, was elected : General James Barnett, James Hayr, Captain J. B. Molyneaux and Captain Levi T. Scofield. Captain Bauder was subse- quently chosen Secretary of the Committee. Captain Bohm thought it would be the proper thing to inform the County Commissioners that the Commission had or- ganized, so that necessary arrangements could be made.
"General Barnett said that it was the sense of the Commission that the Monument should be erected in the southeast corner of the Public Square, where the Perry Monument now stands, and the Park Commis- sioners will be so notified.
" The general plan of the Monument was discussed, and it was the general impression of the members that the design of Captain Scofield was the best that could be obtained. The Captain does not claim the design as his own, it being made from suggestions of the mem- bers, and he will accept no compensation for it. The question of advertising for designs was discussed and then dropped.
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