Peoria's First Civil War Memorial

Peoria's First Civil War Memorial. . , This monument, reportedly one of the first public Civil War monuments of its kind in the State of Illinois, originally dedicated on October 11, 1866, stood on the Peoria County Courthouse Square until dismantled in 1962 to make way for the new courthouse. Originally holding the names of the Civil War soldiers who died in service from Peoria County, time and weather took its toll, making it illegible. The eagle at the top, modelled after "Old Abe" the mascot of the 8th Wisconsin Infantry, crumbled upon removal. , , Contemporary accounts at the time of dedication indicated that there were 617 names in raised relief. When the monument was moved to another location on the square in the late 1870's, it was cleaned and 50 names added. In the 1890's a veteran scaled the monument and transcribed the names that were by that time, almost unreadable., When the 1899 Soldiers and Sailors monument was dedicated, it did not initially include the names on the old monument. Due to the poor condition of the 1866 monument, an updated list was compiled and the names were included on plaques added in 1910., Deemed not restorable, the 1866 monument lay in pieces, abandoned on Park District property over 50 years, until a group formed to restore its dignity. Funds were raised to replace missing elements and the monument was re-erected in Springdale Cemetery, the original location proposed. The monument was rededicated on October 12, 2019.