Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 41, Number 121, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 November 1909 — WOULD ERECT MONUMENT TO GENERAL MILROY. [ARTICLE]

WOULD ERECT MONUMENT TO GENERAL MILROY.

Mrs. M. E. Thompson Starts Movement to Build Shaft to Famous General and To All Jasper County Soldiers. ■ Mrs. M. E. Thompson, whose efforts to have the city buy the old Milroy residence property and convert the same into a park, resulted successfully, has now begun an effort to have a monument erected on the park to General Robert H. Milroy, the most distinguished of Jasper county’s soldiers in the Civil War, and the plan is to have the monument contain the figure of this highly esteemed volunteer and also the names of all the men who enlisted from Jasper county for the war of 1861 to 1865, Mrs. Thompson has started the patriotic movement in a very effective manner, has presented the matter to the Ladies of the G. A. R. and to the" Daughters of the American Revolution, who have planned to secure the money by popular subscription with none giving more than one dollar, so that it may be said that the shaft was raised by the whole people in appreciation of the sacrifices, hardships and valor of the brave lads who enlisted for that war. Miss Mary Washburn, of Chicago, a daughter of the late Dr. I. B. Washbum, and today one of the leading artists of Chicago, and -a close personal friend of Mrs. Thompson, has volunteered to make thie model of the monument free of cost, which will mean a saving of practically 25 per cent of the cost of the monument. Mrs. Thompson went to Chicago Monday to confer with Miss Washburn, and upon her return will have some definite information about the monument and its probable cost. The movement should and we believe will have the endorsement of every patriotic man and woman in Jasper county, and there should be a flood of dollar subscriptions that will make the erection of the monument an easy matter, with every giver glad of the chance to contribute to so worthy a cause. Following the purchase of the Milroy property the old buildings were sold for SSO, and it w r as understood that 1 tfals money was to have been expended” in fixing up the park. It was turned into the general treasury, however, and the park has gone unimproved. This should now be given some attention and by some volunteer work'the park could be made very attractive. A fountain should adorn it, enough more earth should be hauled to elevate it to a level with the west end, and several settees placed therein. The writer saw several fountains in small eastern towns this year made of small bowlders cemented together artistically and one of these could probably be constructed with some volunteer work for very little cost. The effort of Mrs, Thompson should first be made a success and followed with a public effort to beautify the admirably located park. - .