Iowa Civil War Monuments
Lincoln Memorials
Black Hawk County - Waterloo - Lincoln Statue
Lincoln Elementary School was opened in 2004. In the front lobby under a skylight (along with a 1st grader) is an impressive bronze statue of Lincoln and Tad modeled after the statue at the State Capital in Des Moines. The sculptor is John Jago, a Waterloo native. The school is in the NW part of town at 302 Cedar Bend Street. Photos taken 8/29/08.
Cerro Gordo County - Clear Lake - Lincoln Statue
This is a very impressive Lincoln statue in the Clear Lake cemetery. It is 22 feet high with a polished red granite base. It was dedicated to "The Defenders of the Union" on Memorial Day, 1918. It was rededicated by the SUVCW in 2003. There are inscriptions of various battles on the four sides of the monument. There is also another Civil War monument back of the Lincoln statue. These are located on the east side of town near I-35. The cemetery is on 7th Avenue N just south of Highway 18 (the main road from I-35 into town.) The statue is in the NW part of the cemetery. Photos taken 6/17/20.
Clayton County - Guttenberg - Gettysburg Address
This Veterans Memorial has a monument with the Gettysburg Address and an eagle on top of a polished granite column. In a nearby location is a 24 pounder flank howitzer, M1844, cast at Cyrus Alger & Co. in 1863. These are in a wonderful location in Riverfront Park overlooking a lock on the Mississippi River. The park is just north of the business district. Photos taken 3/24/08, 9/11/10 and 6/3/21.
Crawford County - Schleswig - Land Owned by Abraham Lincoln
As a result of service in the Black Hawk War, Lincoln received a land grant in western Iowa. It is believed that he never saw the land in person. When he visited Council Bluffs in 1859 to consult with Grenville Dodge about a future transcontinental railroad, he referred to his land here but said he couldn't take the time to see it. This plaque marks the spot of the hilly land. About seven miles north of Denison and five miles south of Schleswig on Highway 59, go 1.8 miles east on Vernon Voss Road. The plaque is on the right or SW at the intersection of Vernon Voss and 1 Ave. Photos taken 5/4/08. Also see Tama County for land he owned there.
Fayette County - Clermont - Lincoln Statue
This is a striking statue of Abraham Lincoln, standing 7 feet, 6 inches, with four bas relief sculptures of Civil War scenes. The sculptor was George Bissell. The monument was a gift of Gov. Larrabee at a cost over $5000. The monument was completed in 1902 and dedicated in 1903. It is in a small park on Highway 18 just east of the business district in historic Clermont. The panels are, on the east, "Leaving for War"; on the north, a scene from Shiloh; on the south, a scene from Mobile Bay with Admiral Farragut; and on the west, a scene from Appomattox. The first two had images of local soldiers. Thanks to Jeanenne Cullop for sending a copy of the 12/3/1902 Hartley Herald with historic information about this monument. Photos taken 3/25/08.
Greene County - Jefferson - Lincoln Statue
This is an 8-foot bronze statue of Abraham Lincoln on the Courthouse Square in Jefferson. The sculpture is by W. Granville Hastings who also did the Lincoln sculpture in Sioux City. There is also an excellent memorial for Captain Darrell Lindsey, a bomber pilot in World War II who was awarded a Medal of Honor. He died in France on August 9, 1944. The Greene County Courthouse is nicely restored with a wonderful atrium. Inside the south entrance is a veterans memorial with a listing of veterans from the county including Civil War soldiers. Photo taken 10/31/07. An old undated copy of a postcard showing the statue with a different base is also included - thanks to Danny Krock for providing the postcard.
Hamilton County - Webster City - Lincoln Statue
This is an impressive statue of Abraham Lincoln at Webster City High School. The bronze statue is about 7 feet high. The sculptor was George E. Ganiere. It was dedicated in 1913. It is located on the west side of town at Bank and Lynx Streets. Take Bank Street west to the High School. Photos taken 10/28/08.
Henry County - Mount Pleasant - Harlan House
James Harlan represented Iowa in the Senate intermittently from 1855 to 1873. He was a strong supporter of Abraham Lincoln and was appointed Secretary of Interior shortly before Lincoln’s death in 1865. Daughter Mary Harlan married Robert Todd Lincoln and they and their children made many trips to Mt. Pleasant. The house was built in 1876 and served as a retirement home for James Harlan. Also shown is a statue of Senator Harlan. Follow Main Street north of the business district to the house. Photos were taken 9/1/20. The photo of the statue was taken by Jo Porter on 5/11/19.
Jasper County - Newton - Gettysburg Address
On the first floor of the Jasper County Courthouse in Newton are two plaques. The "Boys in Blue" plaque was dedicated by the DAR in 1924. It is brass, 20 inches wide and 29 inches high. The Gettysburg Address plaque was dedicated by the WRC in 1927. It is also brass, 22 inches high and 25 inches wide. The Courthouse, on the town square, was completed in 1911 and seems very well maintained. It has an impressive 3 story rotunda and the plaques fit in very well with the surroundings. Photos taken 10/4/22.
Lee County - Keokuk - Gettysburg Address
This is a wonderful monument at Keokuk’s National Cemetery. This is the only National Cemetery in Iowa. Keokuk had several hospitals during the Civil War and there were many deaths of soldiers. The monument is granite and about 30 feet high. It was erected by the WRC in 1912. The cemetery is in the SW part of town. Take 18th Street south off Main. The National Cemetery is adjacent to Oakland Cemetery. Photos taken 10/5/20. There is also a unique Unknown Soldier plaque and a Gettysburg Address plaque shown. The cornerstone of the Estes House is also here in the cemetery - see the Estes House which is listed as a separate monument.
Polk County - Des Moines - Lincoln Statue
This monument is on the west side of the Iowa State Capital in Des Moines. It was dedicated in 1961 after a fund-raising drive by school children in the State. It is said to be the only statue of Lincoln depicting him in his role as a father. The statue was designed by Fred Torrey and his wife Mable Torrey. The photo was taken 9/24/07.
Polk County - Des Moines - Lincoln High School
Abraham Lincoln High School has several memorials to Lincoln. There is a bust of Lincoln in the main hallway with shiny nose. It is considered good luck to rub his nose when passing by. The main entrance has two paintings of Lincoln by Russell Cowles dated 1923 - one as a young man. There is also a bronze plaque of the Gettysburg Updateress in the hallway and marble tablets of the Gettysburg Updateress over the stage in the auditorium. There are many interesting architectural features of the building which was opened in 1923. Veterans who attended Lincoln HS are also recognized - a plaque lists the names of 67 that "gave the surpreme sacrifice" in WWII. The High School is in the south part of Des Moines. It is off SW 9th. Photos taken May 13, 2008.
Polk County - Des Moines - Gettysburg Address
Around the Rotunda of the Iowa State Capital are two plaques. One is General John Logan's Memorial Day Order of 1868. The other is Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. The Memorial Day Order is on the NW corner of the Rotunda, the Gettysburg Address is on the SE corner, and the flag display case is on the NE corner. The photos were taken 4/22/17.
Pottawattamie County - Council Bluffs - Lincoln Monument
This monument was erected in 1911 and commemorates Abraham Lincoln’s visit to Council Bluffs in 1859 to consult with Grenville Dodge regarding a transcontinental railroad. The monument has a bronze plaque and is about 25 feet high. This spot overlooks the Missouri River and Omaha. Dodge told Lincoln that the best route was "Westward from Council Bluffs". Take Oakland Avenue north off Kanesville Blvd/Highway 6. The monument is to the left of the entrance to Fairview Cemetery. The photos were taken 9/1/08.
Scott County - Davenport - First Bridge Across the Mississippi River Monument
This monument marks the western abutment of the first bridge across the Mississippi which was built in 1856. Two weeks after completion, the steamboat Effie Afton hit the bridge, caught fire and burned to the water line. The steamship companies sued the railroad but defended by Abraham Lincoln, the railroad prevailed, and the bridge remained open. Besides the significance of Lincoln's involvement, this was very important to Iowa's development in opening commerce to the east. The original bridge no longer exists - it is near today's Government Bridge which connects to Arsenal Island. It is along the north side (or side away from the River) of River Drive at the intersection of East Forth Street. The DAR plaque was dedicated in 1928 and the large monument was dedicated in 1956. Photos taken 6/30/09.
Story County - Nevada - Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg Address plaque was dedicated by the WRC in 1930. Originally the cannon and plaque were together but were separated when the old courthouse was replaced about 25 years ago.
On Flag Day, 2013, an impressive ceremony was held to dedicate the new monument and re-dedicate the canon and Gettysburg Address plaque. The monument is dedicated to Lt. Jason Ferguson of Company D, 12th Iowa Infantry. He was from Nevada and died of wounds at the Battle of Shiloh. He was the first fatality from Story County. The courthouse is located just south of the business district. Photos taken 11/15/07, 8/28/08 and 6/14/13.
Tama County - Toledo - Land owned by Abraham Lincoln
Lincoln owned land in Iowa granted by the U.S. Government for service in the Black Hawk War in 1832. Besides this land in Tama County, see Crawford County for land he owned there. There is no record that he ever saw either of these parcels of land. Thanks to John Sachs for notifying me of this historical marker. To find this marker, take Highway 63 north of Toledo for 4.5 miles to 260th Street - then go west 2.4 miles to H Avenue - then north 0.4 miles to the land and marker on the east side of the road. Photos taken 3/6/09.
Woodbury County - Sioux City - Lincoln Statue
This statue is in an attractive setting at the entrance to Grandview Park. The 7-foot bronze Lincoln, by W. Granville Hastings, is on a 6-foot granite base. It was dedicated April 5, 1924. The park is at 24th and Douglas on the NW side of town. Photos taken 9/26/21.
