DECORATION DAY Morning Star, May 29, 2005, pg. 9 Coming up on Monday, May 30, on the “true” day for Memorial Day at 10 a.m, is our Memorial Day parade and ceremony at the bridge over the Kalamazoo River, and at the Veteran’s Memorial Stage at Riverside Cemetery. We hope to see our local citizens support this event which honors the memory of our veterans interred here who have served our country. The American Legion is still taking orders for named bricks to add to the Veteran’s Memorial Stage. Give them a call for details if your would like the name of your veteran included on this very popular landmark. Decoration Day, as it was originally called, was once a major event in our community to honor the memories of those who had served in the Civil War, and previous wars, by placing flowers and flags on their graves. The local Post No. 210 of the Grand Army of the Republic was in charge of the ceremonies for many years, before it was handed over to the American Legion in the late 1920s. Decoration Day ceremonies at the cemetery were conducted for many years in the GAR lot, located just south of the Monroe Mausoleum where there is a large GAR monument today. In a quirk of local history however, Decoration Day in Albion was not started by the GAR. The first Decoration Day here was held on May 30, 1882. It was conducted by the local Knights Templar Masonic Lodge, as the local GAR post had not yet been formed (December, 1883). Albion Republican newspaper editor Benjamin Baxter Bissell wrote an historical account of this first parade/ceremony in Albion, which we are sharing with our readers this week in our Historical Notebook. Bissell wrote, “There was then no Grand Army post here, and it does not appear that the old soldiers had any part in it except in common with other citizens. The exercises of the day were under the direction of the Knights Templar, who were reinforced by a large accession from Marshall. The committee of arrangements was composed of Frederick W. Sheldon, Robert J. Frost, Augustus J. Gale, Charles W. Dalrymple, and F.A. Alsdorf. The procession did not form until 3 o’clock. It was headed by the band and Knights in full uniform, presenting a very attractive appearance. The Ancient Order of United Workmen, the fire department and several other organizations were also in the column, including as many of the veterans of the War as could be got together. The teachers and pupils of the schools marched on the sidewalks and made a lengthy procession of which the twenty little misses selected to scatter flowers upon the graves were complimented by one of the speakers as the flowers in full bloom. For the entire distance, to the cemetery, the sidewalks on both sides of the street were crowded with citizens, while the street was filled with carriages two and three abreast for a distance of a quarter of a mile. ‘One thousand persons,’ stated a local paper, were counted as they passed a given point returning from the cemetery. The address was given by Dr. Lewis Ransom Fiske, president of Albion College, and a poem was red by Professor E.C. Thompson, superintendent of the city schools. The graves of 17 soldiers were decorated,” wrote Bissell. From our Historical Notebook this week we present a photograph of the G.A.R. monument in Riverside Cemetery. The large plaque contains the names of all of the members of the local E.W. Hollingsworth Post No. 210. For this internet version we are also presenting a close-up of the plaque containing all the names. The G.A.R. Monument in Riverside Cemetery Close-up of the Plaque on the G.A.R. Monument Next: ALBION 100 YEARS AGO--JUNE 1905 Here are the 214 names on the G. A. R. Plaque: In Honor of the Members of E. W. Hollingsworth Post No. 210 Dept. of Michigan G. A. R. Charles T. Adams Chas. A. Aikin John Aikin E. W. Allen Francis N. Austin Harley S. Austin Robert A. Babcock Erastus Bailey James J. Baker Ranson Ball David Ballenger John O. Banks Frank Barber Clinton L. Barnhart William Bennett Samuel S. Berry Benj. B. Bissell Wm. H. Bliss Martin Bollers David Boyd Warren E. Brezette S. H. Bristol William H. Brockway Geo. W. Brownell Job Brownell Almon G. Bruce Smith D. Brundage Martin Bullock Wm. Burmingham Evander L. Caldwell Albert B. Calkins Geo. W. Camp Garrett W. Carr Smith Chatfield James H. Clifton Edward Coffin Henry Conant Benj. B. Cook Alva Counterman John Cowlin William H. Cox Melvin W. Coykendall Frederick A. Cutler Charles S. Daskam Charles A. Davis Nathan Davis John J. Dayton William Delbridge Manley Durkee Willard C. Durkee Nelson F. Dyer Edgar Earle Ortus C. Eaton Arthur K. Faurot James Fenton Ezra Florence James Florence Chas. A. Ford John N. Ford Robert J. Frost A. F. Fuller Washington Gardner L. M. Garlick Seymour Gay Henry F. Gilbert Edward B. Gildersleeve Geo. L. Gildersleeve James W. Gillespie Philip F. Glascoff Decatur H. Goodenow Emory E. Goodenow Geo. H. Graves Phineas Graves Wallace Green Newton V. Gregory Jacob T. Hafford Charles E. Haight John Haines Leander C. Handy James Harrington Ezra Hart Hiram L. Hartson William Hastings Hiram Herrick J. P. Hetgel James Hicks Elliott W. Hollingsworth Samuel M. Horton Oscar G. Hubbard Daniel Huffman Sylvanus Hull Cyrus B. Hungerford Ira A. Hutchinson William A. Hutchinson Ezra Inman Henry Johnson Henry D. Jordan Michael Keck Frederick Keinmer John Kelly John S. Kidendall James D. Kincaid Russell R. King Newton T. Kirk Everett G. Knapp Charles A. Lamb Emory Lamb E. H. Leach George Lincoln Henry Lincoln Martin Linebaugh George F. Lipps Wm. M. Loder William Lofthouse Ezra G. Lonsberry Rienzi Loud Frank S. Ludlow Elnathan H. Lyndon Francis Magennis Benson Manchester Robert Manning John H. Matson Jacob Mays Charles A. McGee Richard McNeil Reuben H. McWethy Wm. A. Messacer Chas. E. Miller Elanson B. Miller John A. Miller Tenant W. Mills George Minard Oliver Monroe William P. Morgan William H. Muffley Jacob Nerber Joseph O'Connor Willoughby O'Donoughue Thomas O'Hara James H. Ott Reubin Page Frank E. Palmer Clarence Parker Lorain Parmelee James J. Peachy Daniel W. Peck Lerando A. Pennell Jacob H. Perine George Phelps Charles Pickett Casner Pike Adam Poor George Pratt Frank Putman Lafayette G. Rafter William Rall Jack Reynolds Benj. F. Richardson Isaac H. Riddick Abram Ringler Joseph L. Roberts Robert R. Robinson Ferdinand D. Rodenbush Henry Roether Eli R. Rood James R. Rosignol Ira Ross Joseph Ruff Joseph C. Sampson Thomas C. Saxton Carl B. Scheffler James A. Sherwood Charles E. Shumway Isaac L. Sibley William H. Simmons Geo. B. Simons John Sind James S. Smart Ansel Smith Calvin T. Smith Henry D. Smith Nelson W. Southworth Carl Steinkraus Ferdinand Steinkraus Spenser Stevens Wm. B. Swan Joseph T. Sykes Joseph L. Thomas Judson A. Thomas Jeremiah Tibbits Charles L. Toner Alonzo Travers Edmond Upright James I. Vandenburg Burger Vanderwater William Vromon Geo. W. Warner Levi S. warren Robert L. Warren Bradley Waterman John W. Watson Philip Weitzel George B. Welden Benj. W. Wheat Cornelius N. Wheaton John Whitehouse James Wickwire Sanford D. Wiley Charles H. Williams Geo. A. Williams Louis Wiselogel James H. Wood Simeon R. Wright Albert Youngs Marcus F. Youngs Next: ALBION 100 YEARS AGO--JUNE 1905 Back to the Top of this Page All text copyright, 2024 © all rights reserved Frank Passic Did you enjoy this page? If you've enjoyed learning about Albion history from this site, please write us a note in the Albion Guestbook. We hope you will take the time to share your interest and stories related to Albion history, especially if you have any ancestors from Albion, please let us know. Learn more about Albion Michigan! Visit the Albion home page. 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