CIVIL WAR MEMORIAL GROVE IN CAPITOL PARK-1897|
Adapted from "A Brief History of the Civil War Memorial Grove in Capitol Park and the Civil War Trees Memorial in Historic City Cemetery" to be published in January of 2009 by Old Eli Publishing. Just east of the Capitol Building, in Sacramento's Capitol Park, stands a very unique memorial to the Veterans of the American Civil War. A grove of trees, each from a battlefield of that war, stands today as testimony to the valor of those men and women who endured one of the darkest chapters in American History. On Tuesday, February 3, 2009, the sixteen trees making up the Memorial Grove--9 original trees and 7 replacement trees--will receive new markers. For the first time in decades, each of these Civil War trees will be properly marked. |
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| THE IDEA THAT BROUGHT THE MEMORIAL GROVE TO LIFE
oN October 5, 1896, Eliza Waggoner, President of the Edward Roby Circle No. 2 of the Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, was sitting at her home reading a San Francisco newspaper. She read an account of a proposed planting of thirteen trees, brought from various sites connected with the American Revolution, to serve as a living memorial in Golden Gate Park. Inspired by what she had read, Mrs. Waggoner decided to present a proposal to the Ladies of the G.A.R. to bring trees from Civil War Battlefields to Capitol Park to plant as a living memorial to the men who fought to save the Union.
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| MAY 1, 1897-DEDICATION OF THE MEMORIAL GROVE
oN May 1, 1897, forty trees transplanted from Civil War Battlefields, were planted amid a great Dedication Ceremony in Capitol Park. Eliza Waggoner received prolonged applause from the thousand people and veterans in attendance. |
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| THE GROVE TODAY
Today, nine of the original trees remain in the Grove along with five replacement trees which were added in 1996-1997. (The two dogwoods marked as original trees are probably replacement trees.) In February of 2009, the Union Veterans Union, Inc. and the Elk Grove Civil War Round Table along with the the groundskeepers at Capitol Park marked each tree with new plaques. It is hoped that new trees will be brought from the distant battlefields and added to Memorial Grove.
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LOOKING AT THE MEMORIAL GROVE FROM THE EAST STEPS OF THE CAPITOL |
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