In March of 1917 the Minneapolis posts of the Grand Army of the Republic formed a corporation named “The Lincoln Monument Association of Minneapolis, Minnesota.” These Civil War veterans wanted to erect a statue to honor President Abraham Lincoln. Less than a month later when the United States entered WWI their efforts were put on hold and their energies were turned toward supporting the war effort. After WWI, they again tried raising the $100,000 they thought they would need for the statue. By 1924, however, they had only raised $845.55 and dissolved the association.
In the meantime the Minneapolis Park Board, at the urging of former board president Charles Loring and parks Superintendent Theodore Wirth, decided to create the Victory Memorial Drive. The dedication of the Drive was held on June 11, 1921. 1,217 elm trees were planted on the Drive, 568 of them were dedicated to the WWI dead of Hennepin County.
In 1924, at the request of the 10 Hennepin County posts of the Grand Army of the Republic and also supported by the American Legion, a memorial tree was planted in honor of each post. These 10 posts of the Minnesota Department of the GAR were Appomatox Post No.72, Jacob Schaeffer Post No.163, John A. Rawlins Post No.126, William Downs Post No.68, William Mortimer Post No.192, L.P. Plummer Post No.50, George N. Morgan Post No.4, Dudley P. Chase Post No.22, Levi Butler Post No.73, and James Bryant Post No.119. These trees formed the “Grand Army Circle” and were part of the Victory Memorial Drive.
Only about 125 of the original 3000 members of the 10 posts were left by 1929, but they were finally able to have the statue of Abraham Lincoln erected in the Grand Army Circle on the Drive. The statue’s body is a replica of the St. Gaudens statue of Lincoln in Chicago. That statue, however, has Lincoln looking somewhat downward so a different head was modeled by Max Bachman. On May 25, 1930 the statue of Abraham Lincoln was dedicated thanks to the tireless efforts of the remaining members of the Grand Army of the Republic. In 2009 as part of the 90th anniversary refurbishing of the Victory Memorial Drive, the GAR crosses were lifted up and now sit on raised granite. Also, a new granite stand and plaque tells about the GAR and One of the redone GAR markers the Lincoln statue.
We should all take time to think of those from both the Civil War and World War I for whom these memorials are dedicated and also those whose hard work and vision made these beautiful memorials possible.
Note: Buzzy Bohn is one of the original members of the Camden Community Historical Society and has written many articles for the Camden Community News. Barbara Meyer Bistodeau