Statues: Memorials in Unexpected Forms

Watercolor painting of a field with green grass and bushes, trees with a few leaves, a destroyed building and hills in the background, and four dirt covered graves with white cross markers over them in the center. On the left side of the image are two other white crosses in the grass. In the background on the right there is a tall steeple.

Memorials in unexpected forms
Not all memorials looked alike. Communities create monuments shaped by local identity, geography and imagination.
A. Bartlett King Memorial - Marquette, Michigan
This monument was built in 1921 by Boy Scout Troop 1 of Marquette, Michigan, in memory of their assistant scoutmaster Alanson Bartlett King. All of Scout Troop 1 signed up for the war, but King was the only one who did not return home, dying in France of pneumonia in October 1918. The troop hauled the stones to create it at his favorite location.
Attribution: Marquette Regional History Center
The Elk on the Trail - Florida, Massachusetts
Commissioned by a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and funded by the Massachusetts Elks Association, this bronze statue of an elk – created by sculptor Eli Harvey – was dedicated in 1923. Standing in Florida, Massachusetts, it honors members of the Order who lost their lives in World War I.
The Elk on the Trail
In memory of the brothers of the Massachusetts Elks Association who died in the World War. Erected by the Association 17th June, 1923.
Attribution: Boston Public Library Tichnor Brothers collection
Eagle Circle - Pablo, Montana
Located at the headquarters of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Eagle Circle is a carved granite memorial designed by artist Cowin “Corky” Clairmont. Dedicated in 2017, it honors all tribal veterans and highlights the story of Private Francois Mayuk Caye, who served in the U.S. Army during WWI before he was even recognized by the nation as a U.S. citizen.
Attribution: Sheena Pate at crownofthecontinent.net

Memorials in unexpected forms