The Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, cost $5,500 and was made of granite quarried in Vermont. It was built at the apex of what was known as the town lot next to the Lovell School Building, which is today known as Shappell Park.
When this monument was dedicated, my grandmother, Edith Giddens, was just eight years old. She probably witnessed the entire event. She could see the monument clearly out her front door, as her home was just minutes away. The governor of New Jersey spoke, a chorus of 200 schoolchildren sang patriotic songs, and there was a large parade. Scroll to the bottom of this post to see an article about the event.
The above Google Maps photo shows the monument as my grandmother might have seen it from her front door. The family's home was above a store next to or very near the beige building in this photo. Below is my grandmother's family, as seen living at 310 South Main Street on the 1905 New Jersey State Census.
 |
Charles A. Giddens, his wife, Lucy, and their children, Elizabeth, Charles, Warren, Florence, and my grandmother, Edith. |
If you want to know more about the families I research, click here to like my Facebook page, where you will see each post and other genealogical finds.
Diana
© 2024
"Dedication of Monument 10 of May, 1906. Phillipsburg N. J." 1906, scanned image, original card found in the privately held collection of Diana Bryan Quinn, Virginia Beach, VA, 2024.
Google, "Streetview," digital images, Google Maps (http://maps.google.com), photograph of 314 South Main Street, Phillipsburg, New Jersey, taken July 2019.
"New Jersey State Census, 1905", FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KMH5-MXL : Sat Mar 09 07:59:21 UTC 2024), Entry for C A Giddens and Louisa Giddens, 1905.
"Soldiers and Sailors Monument," Historical Society (https://www.phillipsburgnj.org/boards-commissions/historical-society/ : accessed 13 May 2024).
The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 11, 1906, Page 3. via Newspapers.com (https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-philadelphia-inquirer-soldiers-and-s/147595297/ : accessed May 17, 2024), clip page for Soldiers and Sailors monument dedication by user dewquinn.
What an interesting glimpse into events that your grandmother most likely witnessed. :) Since she was only 8 and could see the monument from her front door, do you think she could have been 1 of the 200 schoolchildren that sang patriotic songs? :)
ReplyDeleteShe may have been one of those children and if not her, some of her siblings. Thank you for reading my post!
DeleteI love this. I've been using Newspapers.com to find all sorts of snippets about my mother's life in Tucson, Arizona, in the 1930s and early 1940s. It's fun to be able to get just a glimpse into the lives of previous generations.
ReplyDeleteThank you! We are so lucky to have newspapers and other resources readily available.
DeleteBig crowd for the dedication! TY for sharing this interesting time in your family's history.
ReplyDeleteYes, very big. I wish I could ask my family about it! Thank you for reading and commenting on my post!
DeleteI love using Google Maps in my research to see places my ancestors used to live. They bring everything to life. Very cool postcard too! Thanks for sharing
ReplyDeleteThank you for checking out my post. We were briefly introduced at the SCG Jamboree some years back, and I've enjoyed following your wonderful blog ever since.
Delete