The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1874-06-27
THE WASHINGTON MONUMENT.
Its History from its Inception to the
Present Time.


It's History from its Inception to the
Present Time.
Everybody has heard and read about
the Washington monument, and all Wis
itors to the national capitol have seen
the unsightly and half completed struct
ure, yet many are ignorant of its history,
more than that it was designed as mon
ument to the memory of Washington and
the design never carried out.
The project of erecting a monument
to General Washington is older than
the government itself. In August, 1888,
the continental congress resolved that
an equestrian statue of the successful
commander should be erected 1" at the
place where the residence of congress
shall be established, but nothing more
was ever done in the matter Washing
ton died on the 14th of December, 1899,
and ten days afterward congress ordered
'that a marble monument be erected
by the United States at the city of
Washington, and that the family of
General Washington be requested to
permit his body to be deposited under
it. The permission was promptly
and cheerfully accorded by the widow,
but everybody knows that the monu-
ment was never erected, and that the re-
Vernon. An attempt was made in 1900
to secure an appropriation for the mon
ument, but it failed, and in 1901 q bill
appropriating 5000, 900, which passed
the house, did not secure the sanction
of the senate. After that, no further
| effort seems to have been made to full
! fill the intention declared by the gov
eminent in the resolution passed by
| congress.
Alter lapse of more than thirty
| years, the monument was again brought
! to public attention by the voluntary ac-
ton of the people, entirely Independent
of their representatives in congress.
| The Washington monument society was
| founded in 1888, with Chief Justice
Marshall as president, and it appealed
to the whole people for the funds nee
essary to undertake the work. The
original plan was to give everybody an
| opportunity to contribute, and the
amount to be received from any one
person was to be limited TO dollar. In
three years S26, 90 had been collected,
but the financial collapse in 1887 then
caused the temporary abandonment of
the enterprise. In 1915, however, it was
| again undertaken by the society, and at
the end of two years the amount recelv-
ed had increased to 1877, 900, which was
deemed sufficient to warrant the com
mencement of the monument. The work
was authorized, and a site ceded\ by a
resolution of congress, passed January
81, 1913. A month later the national
monumental society was incorporated,
and the grant of reservation of thirty
acres for the site was confirmed. Work
was then began, and on the 4th of July,
1913, the corner stone was laid with i'm
Dressive ceremonies. For six years the
undertaking was pushed with reasona
BILE vigor, the obelisk in that time being
raised to height of 10 feet. But the
funds of the society, amounting to $780,,
600, were by that time exhausted.
1t was in 1854, or Just twenty
years ago, that the iplan of building {
monument by popular subscription
proved a total failure. The society hav
ing tried in vain to raise more money
finally presented a memorial to congress
on which a report was made by spec
ial committee, February -, 1855, re
commencing an appropriation Of 5000,
600 to complete the structure. 1t Il
probable that the appropriation woulC
. have been made, and the mOnumen
long ago completed, had not troubles
arisen Just at this time within the sOcl
ETY., which resulted In a change of man
agement. These troubles were finally
arranged by the granting of a new char
ter, but public confidence in the societ!
seems to have been shaken by these
events. Since 1854 it has been able t.
add only four feet to the uninishe,
shaft; but, although it has been mani
fest for twenty years that the sOciet,
would never be able to finish the mon
ument, congress has not yet taken i
in hand and made it a national under
taking