Hawarden - Civil War Monument - GPS Coordinates: 43.005683 by -96.471450

The Soldiers' Monument in Grace Hill Cemetery in Hawarden was dedicated on September 10, 1919. It consists of a 20 foot tall shaft of Barre, Vermont granite which is inscribed at the top with "1861 Veterans 1865". The pedestal in front of the shaft is inscribed on 2 sides with the names of the Civil War dead buried in the cemetery as of 1919 and on the third side with the names of Civil War veterans living in the Hawarden community in 1919. At the time of the monument's dedication, a granite statue of a soldier in uniform with rifle and pack stood atop the pedestal. The statue was destroyed in a wind storm in 1930 and has never been replaced. Funding for the monument was through a $4600 appropriation from the Sioux County Board of Supervisors pursuant to the 1915 Supplement to the Code of Iowa (the Board allocated $100 per Civil War & Spanish-American War veteran buried in the cemetery at the time of the funding). The Mansfield Post of the G. A. R. secured the funding, design, and completion of the monument.

Grace Hill Cemetery is located on the northeastern edge of Hawarden. Take Buchanan off Highway 10 to the Cemetery. The monument is in the center of the Cemetery under the large trees.

Thank you to the Ireton Historical Society for the historical information and the very good photo. The second photo shows descendants of soldiers listed on the monument at a re-dedication on 5/3/14. Members of the SUVCW Kinsman Camp are also shown in the photo. The third image is an old undated postcard showing the soldier - thanks to Danny Krock for providing this. The final three photos, taken 8/30/16, shows the lists of soldiers from the Hawarden area.

Hull - Civil War Memorial - GPS Coordinates: 43.194050 by -96.148933

This is a granite memorial with names of 27 Civil War Veterans from the region. It is about 6 x 2 1/2 feet. The second photo shows 50 crosses set in concrete located in front of the monument. The crosses are unmarked. There formerly was a Memorial Hall on this spot believed to have been erected in the late 1800's or early 1900's. It was paid for by the Cemetery Association and the WRC. The Hall deteriorated over the years and was replaced by this monument in the 1980's. This is in Hope Cemetery NW of town. Follow Hayes Ave. to the cemetery. Photos taken 4/23/08 and 8/30/16. Thanks to John De Koster for providing historical information.

Ireton - Civil War Soldier - GPS Coordinates: 42.967900 by -96.315483

This monument in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in Ireton was erected by Launtz (or Lantz) Post 215 of the GAR in May of 1919 and dedicated on Memorial Day, May 30, 1919. It consists of a life-size bronze statue of a Civil War soldier atop a granite obelisk, centerpiece and then a larger base. Engraved on the obelisk is the following: To The Memory Of The Men Who Fought For Our Country And Are Buried In The Ireton Cemetery. On the centerpiece is engraved: 1861-1865. Facing the monument, the right side is engraved with the names of Civil War soldiers who were buried in the cemetery as of 1919. The left side is engraved with the names of World War Heros - these are men from the Ireton Community who died in service in World War I. The back of the monument is engraved with the names of the committee who spearheaded the monument - the 3 remaining members of the GAR post who had not died prior to the dedication of the monument. In recent years, the American Legion updated a bronze plaque to the rear side of the monument with the names of Ireton servicemen and women who died in Worrld War II, Korea and Vietnam.

Planning for the monument began prior to World War I. In 1917, after "lobbying" by the Ireton and Hawarden GAR posts, the Sioux County Board of Supervisors instituted a 1/2 mill levy for a "Soldiers Monument Fund" as permitted by Section 430 of the 1915 Supplement to the Code of Iowa. Later the Board distributed the funds by allocating $100 per Civil War or Spanish-American War soldier buried in each cemetery seeking to build a monument or memorial chapel. Funds were provided to Ireton, Hawarden, Rock Valley, Boyden and Hull. Ireton received $2400 for the soldiers buried there and raised the remaining cost of the monument by subscription. The Ireton GAR committee visited the cemetery in LeMars, Plymouth County while planning the monument and there is a great deal of similarity betweeen the two monuments.

The monument serves as the centerpiece of the cemetery and is the focus of the community's Memorial Day services. The cemetery is located on the southeast corner of Ireton at Eagle Avenue and 470th Street. From the north, take County Road K30 to the cemetery.

This interesting information was provided by the Ireton Area Historical Society. The first photo was taken on May 28, 2009 - the others August 30, 2016.

Rock Valley - Waiting Woman Monument - GPS Coordinates: 43.187450 by -96.295383

This statue of a woman waiting is located in Valley View Cemetery just south of Rock Valley on the west side of Main Street. The front of the monument is inscribed: "In Memory of Unknown Heroes 1861-1898." As you face the monument, the base on the right side is inscribed: "Erected by Jerry Rusk W. R. C. No. 282. May 30, 1900." According to an article in the Rock Valley Bee in 1975, "the monument consists of a lady sitting on a rock, presumably waiting for her husband to return from war. She is sitting there forlornly, her chin resting on her hand, her head down. In her other arm is a bouquet of flowers. Her wide-brimmed hat sets in front of her feet covered by her long dress. Only her bare feet show." The article goes on to note that a descendant of an early Rock Valley family told the writer that the original party that ordered the monument (from France it is believed) decided they did not want the monument so the Rock Valley group was able to purchase it at a very reasonable price. At the time the article was written, the writer noted that the monument was somewhat forlorn and neglected. Since that time, a series of Veteran's memorials have been erected around the monument including a large granite memorial with a Veteran's prayer engraved with the names of the dead; memorials to the various branches of the service, a series of flags and a field of white crosses.

Thank you to Janet Brown for providing the historical information about this interesting monument. The photos were taken 8/30/16.