World War I Memorial Fountain

World War I Memorial Fountain. . Originally located on the sidewalk near the northeast corner of Courthouse Square, this drinking fountain was made by the J. L. Mott Iron Factory of New York. It was given in 1922 to the citizens of Madison County by the Surgical Dressings Workers of the Jackson McClaran Chapter of the American Red Cross in honor of the local women who organized medical work at home and in memory of the men who died during World War I., The fountain was eventually relocated on its present site above an existing artesian well. Jackson residents remember it as a segregated drinking fountain. In the mid-sixties, the “Colored” and “White” signs were removed. Over time, the fountain lost its top ornament and the water was disconnected., The restoration of this fountain memorializes the service and sacrifice of citizens of Madison County during World War I (1914-1918) regardless of gender, race, or religion. This project aims particularly to recognize African-American Surgical Dressings Workers and War Dead who were not mentioned on the original fountain plaques., The fountain was restored by Mark R. Smith, owner of the Heritage Forge and Wrought Iron of Jackson, thanks to generous contributions from the community at large. It was rededicated on November 17, 2018.