The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1889-05-30
AND ENDURING STONE.
The Monument to be Dedicated TO
PortIand's Brave.
A Complete History of the Project
From the Beginning.
The Story That VIII be Placed Under
the Corner Stone.

In City Hall to consider and encourage the
movement, but it was not until Jan. 18th,
1874, that a meeting for organization was
finally held at Reception Hall. City Building.
at which DR.. Seth c. Gordon presided, and
Mr. John o. Rice was elected secretary pro
tempore. The following officers were elected
President Woodbury. S. Dana.
Vice Presidents-Seth Gordon, George P.Wes-
colt, Andrew Spring.
Recording Secretarv-Charles w. Roberts
Corresponding Secretary-George L. Brown.
Treasurer-Henry W. Hersey.-
Finance Committee-Frank Moves, Charles T
Kimball, John o. Rice.
Committee on Design-John Neal Harrison b.
Brown Israel Washburn, Jr., George f. Shepley,
Philip III. Brown.
A canvassing committee from the several
wards in the city was selected to procure
money subscriptions. At a subsequent
meeting Mr.. Dana declined the presidency
of the association, but the vacancy was not
filled, nor was any business of Importance
transacted until April 18th. 1875, when an
other election of officers was held, and Gen.
George f. Shepley was elected president and
Roswell NJ Richardson, DR.. Seth c. Gordon,
and Jacob Mcclellan vice presidents The
former secretaries and treasurer were elect
ed. MessrS. Charles Ii. Haskell aud William
II. Green were elected upon the finance COM
mittee in place of Messrs. Noyes and Kim
ball, and Mr.. Francis ii. Fassett was elected
member of the committee ON design, in
place of Gen. Shepley, the newly elected
president.
During the year several meetings of the
board of officers were held, and various
plans suggested for raising funds.
The president favored the erection of a
memorial building" in place of a monu-
ment, in which there should be memorial
hall with tablets for inscriptions, statuary,
pictures, histories and relics. This project
was warmly seconded by several of the
mem bers of ;he board of officers, but the
death OF the president soon after seemed to
dampen the ardor of his associates, and the
meetings of the committee were discontinued
and the work Of the organization practically
| stopped. No further attempts to revive it
were made until the year 1883. when at the
request OF five members meeting was held
in Reception Hall on the evening of January
| 9th, and an effort made to renew the work of
| the association.
Mr.. Hersey, the treasurer reported the
funds on hand at this date at $220.19, being
the result of subscriptions during the years
| 1874 and 1875 and interest thereon since that
time The meeting adjourned until January
| 18th, when new list of officers was present.
ed, but the election was deferred until the
receipt of an act OF incorporation was OBJ
| tanned from the State legislature. The char
ter was received and meeting for organi-
cation hereunder was held February %,
1852, said charter being dated February 9,
| 1883.
The officers elected under the charter were
| as follows
President-Joh Marshall Brown.
| Vice Presidents-Israe Washburn, Jr., y. C.
| Gordon. Woodbury. s. Dana
Recording observation-disclosures Charles w.
| Roberts.
Corresponding Secretary Major Holman 6.
| Melcher.
Treasurer-Henry W. Hersey.
Finance Committee-Almon A. Strout, Major
VIM. ii. Green, Gen. Charles p. Mattocks.
COMMITTEE on DeSlgn-James z. Baxter, Gen.
Francis FessendeD, Philip III. Brown, Francis H.
Fassett, Harrison b. Brown.
Active measures werel taken to increase
the membership (the admission fee being
placed at 81, and a general canvas of the
city was made on Memorial Day, May 30th,
which realized the sum of $3,997.13
This, with subscriptions from other
sources, increased the funds of the assoc-
alton to $5,2l9.05. In November, 1883, certi-
ficates!of stock were issued by the associ-
alton, the shares being places at ST. each.
At the annual meeting in January, 1884,
Major Holman S. Melcher was elected vice
president in place Israel Washburn Jr., (de-
ceased) and Mr.. John III. Fogg was elected
corresponding secretary.
In June, of the same year grand fair was
given in the City Hall by the association
which Melted the sum of $10.146.92, and at
the annual meeting in 1885, the membership
Of the association as represented by certif-
| Gates of stock was 1898 and the amount of
| funds on hand was $l535584.
Major Charles H. Boyd was elected a
member of the finance committee in place of
| A. A. Strout retired, and Mr.. Hobart w.
| Richardson was elected a member of the
| committee on design in place of Gen. Fran
| els FeSSenden retired.
| With fund of $15355S4 the association
began to consider the question of a location
and design of monument.
On the question of location various places
were suggested. the most prominent spot be-
Ing Market square, the site of the Old City
Hall erected in 1926. Strong opposition
| was met when at the annual meeting in 1886
the board of directors, or executive commit
tee recommended the removal of the Old
| City Hall and the location of the monument
on the spot, but the recommendation of the
committee was adopted by the association
and they were authorized to take measures
| to secure that site.
| In order to obtain the sentiments of the
people of Portland upon the question of the
| selection Of Market Square as a suitable
place for the monument, an informal ballot
was taken by permission of the city authori-
| ties at the time of the municipal election in
| March, which resulted In 1924 votes in favor
OF that location and ga votes in opposition,
making a total vote of 1908, in an election
where there were thrown 1910 votes for the
| regular municipal officers.
With this argument in favor of the Market
Square locotion the committee appealed to
| the city, government for the removal of the
the the m na aad permission IS Da to erect S
the city government denied the petit
| ton and subsequently decided to apply to
| the legislature for authority for the citizens
at the next municipal election to decide the
matter legally. An act passed the legisla-
ture providing that if majority of the vot-
| ers shall at the time of the municipal cleo
| ton in 1887 decided in favor of Market
Square, the building shall be removed and
| the monument located upon that spot. The
vote resulted 4181 in favor to 1915 against that
site, thereby deciding the matter fully and
| finally.
The committee then turned its attention to
the question of design which brought out
strong controversy, several of its number
| being inclined to favor memorial building
| either by the erection of a new structure or
remodeling the Old City Hall, and an appeal
| to the association resulted in decided ma
| jority in favor of monument and the i'm
mediate removal of the Old City Hall. The
old building was finally removed in June,
| 1888, and the close of that year saw the foun-
dation OF the monument in position.
AT the last annual meeting the treasurer
| reported the funds of the association in his
hands as amounting to $1S,026. 80 Qess ST.
500.59, expended on the foundation and con-
| tracts madeD
Contracts were made during the year with
tue mdlut anu NeW t1dUlS1lT6 OranlLe COM
pany for the pedestal, Messrs. Green & Jor-
dan for the foundation. and Franklin Sim
| mons for the sculpture in bronze, and it is
| expected that the entire cost of the monu-
ment when completed will be $4,000.
| At the annual meeting in January, 1899,
| Mr.. Richard X. Gately was elected a member
| of the committee on design in place of Mr.
| James p. Baxter, resigned.
| During the winter of 1889, there were in
dividual subscriptions amounting to some
thing over $4,000 and jn tn e month of March,
| 1889, the Bosworth Relief corps, an or
| ganizatlon of ladies auxiliary to Post Bos-
worth, Grand Army of the Republic, gave
fair in the City hall, Portland, which
| lasted one week and contributed the
| handsome sum of $11,250 to the
Monument fund, which, with the amount on
hand at the beginning of the year. and sub
scriptions since that time will amount to up
wards of $4,000, a sum that it is believed
will be ample to complete the monument.
Mr. VIM. A. Goodwin was in April. 1889,
elected member of the committee on design
in place of Mr.. I'll. w. Richardson, who died
April 3, 1889.
The present officers of the association are
as follows:
Presldent-Gen. John Marshall Brown.
Vice Presidents-Dr. Seth C.Gordan, Woodbury.
s. Dana, Major Holman s. Melcner the present
Mayor of Portland).
Recording Secretary-Lieutenant Charles w.
Roberts.
Corresponding secretary-Lieutenant John II.
Fogg.