Greenville in Hunt County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
1926 Confederate Soldier Statue
Photographed by James Hulse, July 28, 2025
1. 1926 Confederate Soldier Statue Marker
Inscription.
1926 Confederate Soldier Statue. . This statue of a Confederate soldier was created in 1926 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy Chapter 1236. The idea of creating one began with a mention in the Greenville Morning Herald on March 15, 1910 and then on August 31, 1922 the park board approved a proposal by the UDC to build a statue in memory of Confederate soldiers who died during the Civil War. The soldier's didn't have dog tags that could be sent to their families so this was a spot they could go to commemorate their dead. Originally, the location would have been part of what is now called Graham Park, but over time that changed. Several years were spent raising the funds including a rummage sale, a chapter project of a skirt with 1,000 pockets and tea parties. North Texas Granite and Marble Works was hired in 1925 to build the monument which was sculpted by Frank Tetch, a prolific Texas artisan who also supervised the cutting of the granite decorating the Texas capital and two-thirds of the Confederate memorials in Texas and adjacent states. Some additional works by Tetch include the State Fireman's Memorial on the capital grounds, the bronze statue of La Salle in Navasota and the mantelpieces for the Driskill Hotel in Austin. The recommendation at the UDC meeting in November, 1925, was to place the statue on the campus of the Greenville High School. This was approved with no mention of the earlier proposed site. The statue sat in front of the main entrance to the high school, first on Wesley St. and then on Texas St., until around 1968 when it was moved to the Greenville Junior High School (later the 6th grade center) on Stanford Street and stayed until 2005 when it was moved to the museum. Over 1800 similarly designed statues of soldiers were placed in communities throughout the South in the late 19th and early 20th century. Greenville was the only city in Texas to place a Confederate monument on the campus of a public school. This piece has a history based upon its location, the artist, and as evidence of the past.
This statue of a Confederate soldier was created in 1926 by the United Daughters of the Confederacy Chapter 1236. The idea of creating one began with a mention in the Greenville Morning Herald on March 15, 1910 and then on August 31, 1922 the park board approved a proposal by the UDC to build a statue in memory of Confederate soldiers who died during the Civil War. The soldier's didn't have dog tags that could be sent to their families so this was a spot they could go to commemorate their dead. Originally, the location would have been part of what is now called Graham Park, but over time that changed. Several years were spent raising the funds including a rummage sale, a chapter project of a skirt with 1,000 pockets and tea parties. North Texas Granite and Marble Works was hired in 1925 to build the monument which was sculpted by Frank Tetch, a prolific Texas artisan who also supervised the cutting of the granite decorating the Texas capital and two-thirds of the Confederate memorials in Texas and adjacent states. Some additional works by Tetch include the State Fireman's Memorial on the capital grounds, the bronze statue of La Salle in Navasota and the mantelpieces for the Driskill Hotel in Austin. The recommendation at the UDC meeting in November, 1925, was to place the statue on the campus of the Greenville High School. This was approved with no mention of the earlier proposed site. The statue sat in front of the main entrance to the high school, first on Wesley St. and then on Texas St., until around 1968 when it was moved to the Greenville Junior High School (later the 6th grade center) on Stanford Street and stayed until 2005 when it was moved to the museum. Over 1800 similarly designed statues of soldiers were placed in communities throughout the South in the late 19th and early 20th century. Greenville
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was the only city in Texas to place a Confederate monument on the campus of a public school. This piece has a history based upon its location, the artist, and as evidence of the past.
Erected by Audie Murphy / American Cotton Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, US Civil. A significant day of the year for for this entry is May 31.
Location. 33° 7.499′ N, 96° 5.335′ W. Marker is in Greenville, Texas, in Hunt County. It is on Interstate 30 Frontage Road Ό mile west of Division Street, on the right when traveling west. The marker is located on the grounds of the Audie Murphy / American Cotton Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 600 I-30 Frontage Rd, Greenville TX 75401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Prairies & Lakes Region and in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of
Photographed by James Hulse, July 28, 2025
2. 1926 Confederate Soldier Statue and Marker
the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 26, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 160 times since then and 62 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on August 27, 2025, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.
