The Spanish-American
War Memorial
FO S T E R
A T RI BUT E TO
T H OS E F RO M
K ENT COU NT Y
T H AT SE RV E D IN
THE:
SpanishAmerican War
1898-1899
Philippine
Insurrection
1898-1902
The China Relief
Expedition 1900
P REP AR ED BY :
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B UT GER E IT
1 691 SU MM ER FIEL D
G RA ND RA P IDS , M I
49508
M EM OR IALS
O FF IC ER ,
D EP ART ME NT OF
MICH IGA N ,
S ON S O F U N IO N
V ETE RA NS OF T HE
C I V IL WA R
E XEC UT IV E D IR .
H IST ORY
R EMEMBER ED , INC .
PARK ,
GR AND
R API D S,
MI C HI GAN
A Place of Prominence
Grand Rapids has long
been known for its public art.
Tourists often visit Alexander
Calder’s La Grande Vitesse
while local residents see images of the piece everywhere
throughout the community as
part of the City’s logo. Meijer
Gardens provides a world
class destination for those that
appreciate outdoor sculptures
and more.
The annual Festival of the
Arts and ArtPrize are classic
examples of how Grand Rapids and its citizens demonstrate their pride and appreciation for the artistic talents
we have in our community and
beyond.
Although proper funding
for our parks has historically
been a challenge, thanks to
the efforts of Friends of
Grand Rapids Parks and other
engaged partners, interest in
our public parks and green
space is on the rise. The current effort to rehabilitate our
two memorial parks, Monument Park and Veterans Memorial Park is something that
is long overdue and a worthy
project as reflected in the
diversity of the stakeholders
assembled.
However, in spite of the
preceding success stories, history reminds us that public
interest fades over time and
the meaning or reason for
something's existence becomes
forgotten or even lost.
One such item was Grand
Rapids’ first public sculpture,
the Kent County Civil War
monument, dedicated in 1885
to a throng of 30,000 people.
And yet, by 2000, there
were no champions for a monument of firsts (first to include
a fountain and first to recognize the role of women), as it
stood in disrepair; neglected
and ignored. A small group
of citizens successfully completed full restoration and in
addition, reacquainted the
community with its historic significance and reason for existence.
The seal of the
Spanish-American War
Another sculpture, the SpanishAmerican War statue called
“The Hiker,” once dedicated in
a very well-known public park
with a large crowd in attendance, now stands nearly forgotten in an obscure park,
partially hidden by trees and
shrubs and in need of restoration.
While some may see the
sculpture as a piece of classic
art, I would suggest that as a
community, we have forgotten
the significance it represents.
This monument does not
belong to one group over any
other. It was presented to the
people of the City of Grand
Rapids to serve as a permanent reminder of the service
and sacrifice of those men and
women of our community that
served in the SpanishAmerican War, the Philippine
Insurrection, and the China
Relief Expedition.
This booklet provides a
review of the history of Grand
Rapids’ in the SpanishAmerican War. Also included
in this publication are numerous compelling reasons as to
why we should move our Hiker
to a more prominent place in
our community. These reasons
are based solely on historical
documents and the words of
the soldiers who fought in the
war.
Historically, the people of
the City of Grand Rapids and
Kent County once demonstrated a true respect and appreciation for the soldier in the
Spanish-American War.
The time has come for us to
return the Spanish-American
War memorial to its proper
place in our community and in
our hearts and minds. We
owe them that.
PAGE
2
U.S.S. Maine
“...a splendid
little war.”
- Future
Secretary of
State
John Hay
John Hay
(also served as
secretary for
President
Abraham
Lincoln)
Some history
The Spanish-American
War of 1898 ended Spain's
colonial empire in the Western Hemisphere and secured
the position of the United
States as a Pacific power.
U.S. victory in the war produced a peace treaty that
compelled the Spanish to
relinquish claims on Cuba,
and to cede sovereignty over
Guam, Puerto Rico, and the
Philippines to the United
States. The United States
also annexed the independent state of Hawaii during
the conflict. Thus, the war
enabled the United States to
establish its predominance in
the Caribbean region and to
pursue its strategic and economic interests in Asia.
The war that erupted in
1898 between the United
States and Spain was preceded by three years of
fighting by Cuban revolutionaries to gain independence
from Spanish colonial rule.
From 1895-1898, the violent
conflict in Cuba captured the
attention of Americans because of the economic and
political instability that it
produced in a region within
such close geographical
proximity to the United
States. The long-held U.S.
interest in ridding the Western Hemisphere of European
colonial powers and American public outrage over brutal Spanish tactics created
much sympathy for the Cuban revolutionaries. By early
1898, tensions between the
United States and Spain had
been mounting for months.
After the U.S. battleship
Maine exploded and sank in
Havana harbor under mysterious circumstances on February 15, 1898, U.S. military
intervention in Cuba became
likely.
On April 11, 1898, President William McKinley asked
Congress for authorization to
end the fighting in Cuba
between the rebels and
Spanish forces, and to establish a "stable government"
that would "maintain order"
and ensure the "peace and
tranquility and the security"
of Cuban and U.S. citizens on
the island. On April 20, the
U.S. Congress passed a joint
resolution that acknowledged
Cuban independence, demanded that the Spanish
government give up control
of the island, foreswore any
intention on the part of the
United States to annex Cuba,
and authorized McKinley to
use whatever military
measures he deemed necessary to guarantee Cuba's
independence.
The Spanish government
rejected the U.S. ultimatum
and immediately severed
diplomatic relations with the
United States. McKinley responded by implementing a
naval blockade of Cuba on
April 22 and issued a call for
125,000 [GR Herald reported 100,000] military volunteers the following day. That
same day, Spain declared
war on the United States,
and the U.S. Congress voted
to go to war against Spain
on April 25.
The future Secretary of
State John Hay described
the ensuing conflict as a
"splendid little war." The first
battle was fought on May 1,
in Manila Bay, where Commodore George Dewey's
Asiatic Squadron defeated
the Spanish naval force defending the Philippines. On
June 10, U.S. troops landed
at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba
and additional forces landed
near the harbor city of Santiago on June 22 and 24.
After isolating and defeating
the Spanish army garrisons in
Cuba, the U.S. Navy destroyed the Spanish Caribbean squadron on July 3 as it
attempted to escape the U.S.
naval blockade of Santiago.
On July 26, at the behest
of the Spanish government,
the French ambassador in
Washington, Jules Cambon,
approached the McKinley
Administration to discuss
peace terms, and a ceasefire was signed on August
12. The war officially ended
four months later, when the
U.S. and Spanish governments signed the Treaty of
Paris on December 10,
1898. Apart from guaranteeing the independence of
Cuba, the treaty also forced
Spain to cede Guam and
Puerto Rico to the United
States. Spain also agreed to
sell the Philippines to the
United States for the sum of
$20 million. The U.S. Senate
ratified the treaty on February 6, 1899, by a margin of
only one vote.
(The website below provides
more on the Philippine Insurrection and the China Relief
Exhibition.)
http://history.state.gov/milestones/1866-1898/Spanish_american_war
THE
SPANI SH-AM ERI CAN
PAGE
3
Local headlines
National headlines
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85066387/1898-04-26/ed-1/seq-1/
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85052118/1898-04-21/ed-1/seq-1/
http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85058130/1898-04-26/ed-1/seq-1/
“War Against Spain;” Grand Rapids Herald; Date: 04-26-1898; Issue: 4871; Page: [1]; NewsBank
“Mayoral Proclamation;” Grand Rapids Herald; Date: 04-24-1898; Issue: 4869; Page: [3]; NewsBank
“On To Cuba;” Grand Rapids Herald; Date: 04-26-1898; Issue: 4871; Page: [1]; NewsBank
Kent County answers the call
PAGE
4
The Grand Rapids Herald wrote,
GOODBYE, BOYS, HURRAH!
Farewell, and if Forever,
Still Forever, Fare Thee Well!
Today the grim realities of war
will come very close to many
Grand Rapids families. It will come
very close to many whose regard
for those who leave for the front
is very dear. To all there will come
a feeling of solemnity and of anxious thought concerning those who
go away from us this April morning. They go with the good will
and Godspeed…
“Rush of Recruits”; The Evening Press ;Date: 04-24-1898; Page: [3]; NewsBank
The boys from Grand Rapids
were quick to answer the call for
troops by President McKinley. In
fact, so many young men enlisted
to serve that men were turned
away.
orders on Saturday, April 23,
1898 and on Tuesday, April 26,
the men marched through the
streets of Grand Rapids to
board the train for Island Lake in
Livingston County and then to the
front.
Over 475 men
served from Kent
County. In
Michigan, ten men
volunteered for
every one that
could be accepted.
The units received their marching
A patriotic and supportive community
GRPL Collection 54 Box 21 Folder 3
GRPL Collection 54 Box 44 Folder 6 SpanAm 1898
Leaving Union Depot
Leaving Union Depot
GRPL Collection 54 Box 44 Folder 6 SpanAm 1898
GRPL Collection 54 Box 21 Folder 3 SpanAm 1898
Leaving Union Depot
GRPL Collection 54 Box 21 Folder 3 SpanAm 1898
The story header read in the
Evening Press on 4.26.1898 -
Marching Down Canal Street
GRPL Collection 54 Box 44 Folder 6 SpanAm 1898
Rally in Campau Square - Note people on roof tops and the utility poles.
WITH HEADS BARED
Veterans Watched the Troops
Board Their Train
ANOTHER BIG CROWD
Saw Departure from
the Union Depot
Mothers Smiled Through Tears
and Sisters and Sweethearts
Wept Their Pretty Eyes Out
In Ionia St; at the depot, the escort opened ranks, and the heads
of the old veterans, members of
the veterans corps, Sons of Veterans and the Elks were bared as
the troops passed through their
lines.
The parade was led by the
Grand Army of the Republic.
Fathers to many of the soldiers.
GRPL Collection 54 Box 44 Folder 6 SpanAm 1898
PAGE
Sons of veterans (by blood)
6
“Noble
sons of
patriotic
sires.”
Ernest B. Fisher,
Historian
1918
As it was in 1861, when their
fathers answered President Lincoln’s call for troops to help preserve the Union, so too did the
sons of veterans of the Civil
War answer the call when their
nation needed them in 1898.
Franklin D. Eddy, prominent
Grand Rapids business man and
a two-term Clerk of Kent County, was the son of William Eddy,
a soldier in the 50th NY Engineers during the Civil War.
Franklin was a member of
the Perry Camp No. 9, Sons of
Veterans and one-time Commander of the Department of
Michigan, Sons of Veterans.
When it was obvious that
America would go to war with
Spain, Franklin personally raised
two companies of troops made
up entirely of sons of Civil War
veterans (by blood) and members of the Sons of Veterans (by
association). These units were
Co. L, 33rd Michigan Infantry
and Co. B, 35th Michigan Infantry. Grand Rapids was wellrepresented by men with rank
from officer to private.
Although the 35th Michigan
never left the United States, the
33rd saw heavy action in Cuba.
As did their fathers in the
Civil War, more men would die
from disease than from battle
wounds.
Sons of Veterans (Association)
In 1881, the Grand
Army of the Republic
(G.A.R.) formed the Sons
of Veterans of the United States of America
(SV) to carry on its traditions and memory long after
the G.A.R. had ceased to exist.
Membership was open to any
man who could prove ancestry
to a member of the G.A.R. or to
a veteran eligible for membership in the G.A.R. In later years,
men who did not have the ancestry to qualify for hereditary
membership, but who demonstrated a genuine interest in the
Civil War and could subscribe to
the purpose and objectives of
the SUVCW, were admitted as
Associates. Many G.A.R. Posts
sponsored Camps of the SV. In
1925, the SV name was
changed to Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW),
under which its federal charter
was issued in 1954. The SUVCW
is legally recognized as the heir
to, and representative of, the
G.A.R.
all those who have served in our
nation’s military.
We have been actively involved in patriotic education
programs as well as historic
preservation and restoration
projects in Grand Rapids, the
State of Michigan and other
states.
From its inception until after
WW I, the Sons of Union Veterans served as a national guard
unit for the U.S. military.
Gen. John A.
Logan
Originator of
Memorial Day
Today in Grand Rapids, the
General John A. Logan Camp
No. 1, Sons of Union Veterans
of the Civil War proudly keeps
green the memory of the Grand
Army of the Republic and honors
Those that answered
the call for troops included
forty members of the Elks
Lodge No. 48. The
Y.M.C.A. saw a number of
its members enlist. They
also sent instructors to minister to the soldiers.
Roy R. Gillson and
James Mackay, two members of the [G.R.] Herald
staff went to the armory to
get reports and were so
Other organizations
enthusiastic that they both
enlisted.
ciation applied to serve
as nurses.
Five men from the
Grand Rapids Medical
College announced their
enlistment.
The Sophie de Marsac
Campau Chapter of the
DAR made bandages.
Five nurses from the
United Benevolent Asso-
Fountain Street Church
held an “Army Day” program with the Y.M.C.A.
“Elks” The Evening Press ; Date: 04-25-1898; Page: [1]; NewsBank
PAGE
7
Over 4,000 citizens
turned out for
Private Adams’
funeral in Greenwood
Cemetery.
- Evening Press
Honorable service & sacrifice
The August 8, 1898 issue of
the Evening Press read HARRY ADAMS DEAD
First Loss in the
Grand Rapids Troops
broke out.
...At the time of his enlistment
he weighed 160 pounds and was
in prime physical condition, never
having a sick day in his life, and
was as strong as the strongest.
A VICTIM OF TYPHOID
The floral tributes for
Private Proper were
numerous and the
sermon was a fitting
one for the occasion,
the young hero being
eulogized for his
sacrifice to the
country.
- Herald
Other casualties of the
war include:
Clifford Curtis,
Wounded in Cuba,
Co. L, 33rd MI & Sons
of Veterans (Sand
Lake)
W.F. Knox,
Wounded in Cuba,
Troop D,
Rough Riders
(Grand Rapids)
Arthur Maleham,
Died of Disease
in Cuba,
Co. L, 33rd MI &
Sons of Veterans
(Grand Rapids)
Gabhart Jung,
Died of Disease
in Cuba,
22nd U.S. Infantry
(Grand Rapids)
John Van Breda,
Died of Disease
in Porto Rico,
Co. A, 2nd WI
(Grand Rapids)
Fred L. Riddle,
Died of Disease
in Porto Rico,
19th U.S. Infantry
(Grand Rapids)
August M. Erickson
Killed in Action
in Philippines
19th U.S. Infantry
(Grand Rapids)
Fernandina, Florida - The second
death in the ranks of the ThirtySecond Michigan occurred at
9:10 this morning, when Private Harry Adams of Co. E,
Grand Rapids,
passed away.
He had been
unconscious
since early yesterday morning
and was kept
up on stimulants. Everything possible was done for him, but in
vain. His company officers and a
number of his comrades had been
with him continuously since last
night, and were with him when he
died.
Private Adams was nineteen
years old and a great favorite
among his comrades. He was
always jovial, and even when the
company was compelled to grub
palmetto roots he would cheer his
comrades on. He had been with
the company since shortly after it
went to Camp Eaton on April 26.
The body will be embalmed
and sent to Grand Rapids.
...Harry F. Adams, who is the
first of the Grand Rapids boys to
meet death in this war, was a
native of this city; and 19 years
old. He was a son of William K.
Adams and brother of Fred J.,
Willis L., W.R. Adams and Mrs.
Henry Ramad (sp?). He was for
two years in the employ of the
Western Union Telegraph company, first as messenger and later
as night clerk, but resigned to
enter the employ of Voigt,
Herpolsheimer & Co., for whom
he was working when the war
...W.G. Herpolsheimer said: “I
cannot say how grieved and
shocked I am...We have several
of our young men in that regiment, and we have assured them
all that they could have their
places back when they returned. I
am sorry that Harry cannot come
back to take his place again.”
The remains will be brought
home for burial.
The September 14, 1898 issue
of the Herald ran this story WRAPPED UP IN THE FLAG
The Body of Private George
Proper Arrived Last Evening
Wrapped in the folds of the
flag he died for, the body of
Private George Proper of Company E, Third United States Infantry, was taken tenderly by a
squad of seven comrades from
the baggage car of the 10:20
Michigan Central train last night
and thence to Durfee undertaking
rooms. Beside the carriage
walked a funeral escort of 10
soldiers and two sailors.
From the Michigan Soldier
Obituaries, 1899-1938 by
Francis Hall [a member of the
Sons of Veterans], the obituary
for Private Jozeph C. Fabiszak
read With the sharp volley of rifles
of friends and associates and the
sad sound of the bugle playing
taps over his last resting place,
the body of Jozeph C. Fabiszak,
formerly a private, Company K,
4th U.S. Infantry, the first contribution of this city to the dead list
of the Philippine Insurrection was
laid in his grave yesterday morning.
...The internment took place at
Mt. Calvary single grave section
and was conducted according to
the regulation military form.
The obituary also sadly stated
that through miscommunication,
there was no family to greet the
body upon its return to Grand
Rapids and as a result, the body
(casket) sat on the platform of
the depot for a day before
anyone noticed it. All other
trains were met by local citizens.
The deceased died at Camp
Wikoff last Thursday from a fever. He was the son of Thomas
Proper of No. 110 Evergreen
Avenue, who was himself a soldier in the Grand Army [Civil
War]. Funeral services will be
held at ten o’clock this morning at
the Immanuel Presbyterian Church
with full military rites at the grave
in the Valley City Cemetery under
the direction of the local G.A.R.
and the boys who are home.
“Harry Adams”; The Evening Press; Date: 8.-8-1898; Page: 3; NewsBank
“Wrapped Up in the Flag”; The Grand Rapids Herald; Date: 09-14-1898; Issue: 5010; Page: 3; NewsBank
“Met By Strangers”; The Evening Press; Date: 10-27-1899; Page 1; Newsbank
PAGE
The Hiker
There are many different styles of monuments
erected across the United
States to commemorate the
Spanish-American War,
ranging from bronze tablets
to inscribed boulders and
statues.
In Grand Rapids, the
statue known as The Hiker,
was designed by a woman,
Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson in
1906. The first piece was
created for the University of
Minnesota, and after the
Gorham Manufacturing
Company purchased the
rights to the statue, they cast
at least 50 Hiker statues.
Only two exist in Michigan
with the second one in Kalamazoo.
The statue depicts a hero
stripped of his parade uniform and shown as a soldier
reacting to the challenges of
A memorial to the
dead.
the battlefield. The infantry
soldiers in the war referred
to themselves as “hikers.”
The 1928
dedication
ceremony listed
the names of over
sixty (60) names in
whose memory the
monument was
dedicated.
There is another version
of The Hiker in existence as
designed by Allen Newman
in 1904. (There are about
twenty versions of that more
rakish-looking soldier.)
In the dedication photo
below (left) in Lookout Park,
some of the men pictured
include Charles Belknap,
Grand Rapids Mayor Alvin
Swarthout, Michigan Governor Green and Ex-Governor
Osborne. The ceremony
was conducted on April 28,
1928. A large turnout
helped the Guy V. Henry
Camp No. 3, United Spanish
War Veterans commemorate their service and sacrifice in the Spanish-American
War.
The statue is made
of 3/8” bronze
and hollow.
GRPL Collection 54 Box 18 Folder 3
It was cast at the
Gorham Foundry
in Rhode Island.
The boulder was from
Mill Creek near the North
Park Boy Scout Camp and
was hauled by rail downtown. A team of six horses
pulling a flatbed was
pushed by a motor truck to
get the boulder to Lookout.
1
The bust of
Abraham Lincoln
in Lincoln Place
was also cast by
Gorham.
3
In 1957, the
United Spanish
War Veterans
petitioned the City
to move the statue
to Veterans
Memorial Park but
the request was
denied.
2
4
1. GRPL Coll 59 Box 1 Fold 6 No. 153 2. Coll. 43 Box 1 Fold 6 No. 266 3. Coll 43 Box 1 Fold 6 No. 262 4. GRPL Coll 43 Box 1 Fold 6 No. 262
THE
SPANI SH-AM ERI CAN
8
Monument Park at
that time was too
small to
accommodate
the statue.
Baldwin Park
already had the
statue of Charles
Belknap in it.
1957 to present (we’ve been here before)
In the City Archives,
there are a series of letters
between the veterans of the
Spanish-American War,
United Veterans Council of
Kent County, and the City of
Grand Rapids regarding
moving the Hiker.
Letter dated March 8,
1957:
“At the regular meeting
of Guy V. Henry Camp No 3,
United Spanish War Veterans, Thursday evening,
March 7th, 1957 it was
voted to grant Fred C. See,
Supt. of Parks the right to
remove our Spanish War
Memorial Monument from
Lookout Park to a new location in Veterans Memorial
Park on Fulton Street.
At the time our HIKER
Monument was placed in
Lookout Park, that seemed
the only possible spot. But the
late William H. Zylstra Commander of Camp No 3 in
1928, his committee including the Honorable Fred W.
Green who was Governor of
Michigan at that time, and
also a member of this camp,
were assured by our Mayor
of 1928 that if and when
another location might come,
that the city of Grand Rapids
would make the change of
location.
From all that we know of
the bad treatment (and that's
a real lot) it will be wonderful to see it in the Veterans
Memorial Park….”
Letter dated March 19,
1957:
“At the meeting of the
United Veterans Council of
Kent County held on March
12, 1957 it was resolved to
request of the City of Grand
Rapids the moving of the
Spanish War memorial from
Lookout Park to Veterans
Memorial Park. This request
and petition is in concurrence
with the request of the Guy
V. Henry Camp , United
Spanish War Veterans who
are also urging the moving
of the Spanish War Memorial to Veterans Memorial
Park.
The reasons for such
request are readily apparent as the memorial is located in an out-of-the-way
location where it does not
receive the interest and
prominence it deserves.
Furthermore, with the revamping of Veterans
Memorial Park in process
this would enable the
change without serious disarrangement of plans, and
bring all of the war memorials together in the location where they belong, in
Veterans Memorial Park…”
With the thought in mind
that this Memorial is the
property of the United Spanish War Veterans, and while
not wishing to create any
disturbance, but wishing only
to preserve our monument,
we do urge the City Commission to allow Mr. Fred C.
See, Supt. of Parks, to move
our Spanish War Memorial
HIKER from Lookout Park to
a location in the Foster
Park….”
What was the Explanation?
No documentation has
been found as to what the
explanation was to not approve moving the Hiker into
Veterans Memorial Park.
Why not Monument Park?
Here again we can only
assume that many thought
Monument Park too small as
evidenced by a decision of
the City Commission in 1900
to remove the SpanishAmerican War trophy from
Monument Park. The trophy
was a cannon from the
Spanish ship the Marie Teresa, given to the City for the
services of its citizens during
the war.
Letter dated April 6, 1957:
“It has been fully explained to us that the type of
our Spanish War Monument
would not fit the surroundings
of the new Veterans Memorial Park.
Is this our chance
to get it right?
See page 11 for more.
Foster Park at Prospect
and State street has been
suggested as an ideal alternate location.
City of Grand Rapids Archives; Supporting Documentation for Proceedings; Nos. 4298, 4337, 5655, and 5751
THE
SPANI SH-AM ERI CAN
PAGE
9
PAGE
10
The historical link
As a historian, and in my role
as the Memorials Officer for
both the General John A. Logan
Camp No. 1 and the Department of Michigan, Sons of Union
Veterans of the Civil War, I
have been extremely successful
in connecting the present to the
past.
The SpanishAmerican War did
much to unify the
country after the
Civil War.
Former Blue and
Gray served
together on the
same field of
battle.
In order to connect the present to the past, I conduct extensive research in order to conduct
a rededication ceremony that
mirrors the original dedication
service. Here in Grand Rapids,
a large number of such ceremonies once again found organizations such as the Grand Rapids
Fire Department, the Kent County Prosecuting Attorney, the office of the Mayor, the Schubert
Male Chorus and many others
standing where their predecessors had many years earlier.
In researching the SpanishAmerican War and the contribution Grand Rapids made, it became quite clear that I knew
very little. Yes, I knew that the
sons of the veterans of the Civil
War had served in the SpanishAmerican War but that was
about it. Even then I thought that
that might be enough to propose
moving the Hiker to Veterans
Memorial Park or Monument
Park.
However, after spending
vast hours on the Internet, in the
Grand Rapids Public Library
and in the City Archives, I firmly
believe that events of the past
have made it quite clear that we
are obligated to move the
Spanish-American Hiker to Veterans Memorial Park or Monument Park.
The Hiker is the link between
Monument Park and Veterans
Memorial Park. The reasons
why it should be (or can be)
moved are as follows:
One) By moving the Hiker, we
would be honoring the wishes of
the veterans of that war. Just
because they can no longer
speak doesn’t mean we shouldn’t
listen.
Two) We have a responsibility
to remember the service and
sacrifice of the soldier in the
Spanish-American War just as
we do the veterans of other
wars. The monument to the soldier of that war deserves to be
near the monuments to the soldiers of the Civil War, WW I,
WW II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq,
and Afghanistan.
Three) This monument is a tribute to the Spanish-American
War soldiers from Kent County;
not just Grand Rapids. All of the
other monuments are tributes to
those from Kent County as well.
Four) With no disrespect to
Foster Park, it is not a place of
prominence as is Monument Park
and Veterans Memorial Park.
Five) The City has spent a
great deal of time seeking public input in an effort to rehabilitate Monument Park and Veterans Memorial Park. This effort
will generate an even greater
interest in the parks and the
memorials in them.
To honor the service and sacrifice of all of the wars in which
Grand Rapids and Kent County
men and women served without
including the Spanish-American
War literally just doesn’t make
sense.
Six) The blood relationship between the soldier of the Civil
War and his son in the SpanishAmerican War. To place the
Hiker near the monument that
honors their Civil War fathers
would honor the father and son
relationship as well as the
Grand Army of the Republic and
the Sons of Veterans relationship.
A float in the 1925 Grand Army of the Republic National Encampment parade
states “American Legion - Carry On” and signifies the passing of the symbolic torch or flag from
the Spanish-American War veterans to the veterans of World War I.
GRPL Collection 43 Box 1 Folder 4 No. 193 and 197
PAGE
11
Letters & more from the past
While I represent the Sons of
Union Veterans of the Civil War
as a stakeholder in the project
to rehabilitate Monument and
Veterans Memorial Parks, I am
also the Executive Director of
History Remembered, Inc.
History Remembered strives
to be “the voices of those no
longer with us.” In every project we’ve been involved in, we
conduct the research necessary
to learn what those no longer
with us said. Too often, we forget the importance of the past
and more often, we somehow
assume we know better today
on how things should be preserved and/or restored. In
many cases, what we choose is
not what those from the past
would agree with.
One such decision was to
alter the theme or intent of Veterans Memorial Park several
years ago with the decision to
place the Purple Heart Monument in the park. While the
current Park Steering Committee
discussed the possibility of removing the monument out of
Veterans Memorial Park, a decision was made to allow the monument to remain as long as it
was not displayed with the other
war memorials which honor the
dead.
In a letter dated May 7, 1956,
the United Veterans Council of
Kent County petitioned the City
of Grand Rapids to rename
Fulton Street Park as Veterans
Memorial Park.
That letter stated,
to comply with their wishes.
“...Whereas it is most appropriate that our war dead have the
park where their memorials are
located to bear the name of Veterans Memorial Park, and...”
The response by the City was
in support of the petition and
stated,
“During this month the citizens
of this community are staging a
drive for funds to construct a
suitable memorial to those men
and women who made the supreme sacrifice in the defense of
their country…Be IT RESOLVED
that the name of Fulton Park be
changed to Veterans Memorial
Park out the principles herein
mentioned.”
Another indication as to the
purpose of Veterans Memorial
Park can be found on the back
of a photograph of the WW I
pillars, where someone wrote,
“To Our Honored Dead.”
As shared previously, less
than a year later, the United
Spanish War Veterans and the
United Veterans Council of Kent
County petitioned the City to
move the Hiker.
In the letter from the United
Veterans Council of Kent County,
dated March 18, 1957, to the
Mayor and City Commission,
“The reasons for such request
are readily apparent as the memorial is located in an out-of-theway location where it does not
receive the interest and prominence it deserves. Furthermore,
with the revamping of Veterans
Memorial Park being in process
this would enable the change
without serious disarrangement
of plans, and bring most of the
War memorials together in the
location where they belong, Veterans Memorial Park….”
What would the veterans of
the Spanish-American War say
today? Would they not say the
same thing except ask that their
monument be placed in Monument Park where room now exists?
The United Veterans Council
of Kent County, the Elks Lodge
No. 48, and many others are
supportive of this effort to honor
the wishes of the past.
I share again the most important comments from that exchange because I believe that
today, we have an opportunity
Proceedings Item No. 4298
Grand Rapids City Archives
Proceedings Item No. 5655
Grand Rapids City Archives
Proceedings Item No. 4337
Grand Rapids City Archives

Voigt Milling, Powers and
Walker Casket Co.,
Grand Rapids Brass, and
nearly every business in
Grand Rapids promised
to hold open the job of
each employee who enlisted to serve?

George Fox survived
sinking of the U.S.S. Maine
and received a gold watch
from the City of Grand
Rapids?


The first soldier from
Kent County to die in the
Spanish-American War
was Henry F. Adams, Co.
E, 32nd Michigan of typhoid fever? His body
was returned home and
thousands attended his
funeral (buried at Greenwood).
Joseph C. Fabiszak was
the first casualty of the
action in the Philippines?

Private William H. Dean,
Co B, 7th U.S. Cavalry
[possibly 1st U.S. Artillery, Battery A] and resident of Grand Rapids, was
the first soldier to volunteer to participate in Dr.
Walter Reed’s experiments regarding yellow
fever?

The new Fulton Street
Bridge in 1928 was dedicated Dean Memorial
Bridge in honor of William H. Dean?


Grand Rapids received
one of the 14cm Hontoria
guns from the Spanish
ship Marie Teresa as a
war trophy? It resided at
Monument Park and John
Ball Park and finally on the
grounds where the old
Public Museum Building is
today.
The City Commission
voted on numerous occa-
Sons of Veterans
sions to provide money
($5,736.71) for flowers,
supplies, parades, hospitals and other care for the
soldiers upon their return
home?

The song Dewey’s Advance was composed by
May C. McBride and dedicated to the Evening Press
Newsboy’s Band?

Admiral Dewey was given
a large parade in June
1900.
These events attest
to the fact that at
one time, Grand
Rapids was very
appreciative of the
soldier in the SpanAm War and
demonstrated as
much.
Should we do any
less today?
Spanish-American War Veterans
The 1925 Grand
Army of the
Republic National
Encampment was
held in Grand
Rapids. Here
march the Sons of
Veterans, SpanishAmerican War
Veterans and the
Grand Army of the
Republic
The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR)