G.A.R. BOULDER - Historical Albion Michigan

Continuing with our theme of Memorial Day, in Victory Park there sits a large boulder with a plaque on it. It reads, "G.A.R. MEMORIAL. In Memory of U.S. SOLDIERS AND SAILORS WAR OF 1861-65. E.W. HOLLINGSWORTH POST No. 210 DEPARTMENT OF MICHIGAN 1925."

This boulder was placed there and dedicated by the remaining local members of the Grand Army of the Republic on Saturday on July 4, 1925. E.W. Hollingsworth Post No. 210 commander Rev. Isaac Riddick gave the dedication, with Willard Durkee unveiling the stone. Professor H. L. Ewbank gave the dedicatory speech. It should be noted that Albion soldiers were heavily involved in the Civil War. There was an Albion company of Mechanics and Engineers, a company in the 12th and 6th Michigan infantries, and others.

With its membership dwindling, the G.A.R. sold its hall on E. Erie St. to the Methodist Church in 1929, and $1,000 of the sale price was donated to the Albion Public Library. Other remaining funds of the group were used to purchase a large plaque and monument in the G.A.R. burial lot in Riverside Cemetery. This plaque contains the names of all 217 members of the local G.A.R. Post No. 210. The last living member of the local post, Jacob H. Perine, died in 1942 at the age of 102.

As we observe Memorial Day, let us notice our local monuments dedicated to the memories of the soldiers of the Civil War. From our Historical Notebook we present a photograph of the G.A.R. boulder in Victory Park.

	Frank Passic — Albion Historian An Albion native and 1971 graduate of Albion High School, Frank Passic has been researching and writing Albion history since 1976. He is the creator of the Albion Historical Notebook, with hundreds of articles appearing weekly in the Morning Star and The Recorder. Frank maintains an extensive personal archive including Riverside Cemetery records, family surname files, genealogies, photographs, city directories, and high school yearbooks. Support his 2026 research at the Historic Albion Michigan Facebook page. Historical Notebook \| From the Archives \| Subject List \| 100 Years Ago \| Alphabetical Index \| Frank Passic Home Page \| Albion History Books \| Contact Frank
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