A Memorial in Cooperstown

My grandfather, Bill Coleman, served in France during the first World War.  His sister, my great aunt Bess, wrote to him often during the war and later served on the committee to establish a memorial to the war dead. The list includes their cousin, Joe Coleman. She saved the program, which I have transcribed here.

Program of the Unveiling and Dedication of the Cooperstown World War Memorial

Armstice Day, November 11, 1931

The Memorial

Thirteen years have passed since that memorable Armistice Day of November 11, 1918. Since that time there have been several attempts to secure a World War Memorial all of which have proven unsuccessful.  Finally the ladies of the American Legion Auxiliary, Unit No. 579, pledged themselves to the task of properly commemorating to posterity the deeds of those who served and the names of those who made the supreme sacrifice in the World War and to that end asked the Cooperstown Exchange Club and the Cooperstown Rotary Club to name a joint Committee to select a site and a suitable form of Memorial.

Under the able leadership of Hon. Walter Watson Stokes, who became the Chairman of this joint committee, the site was secured, the form of Memorial agreed upon by the committee, adopted by the American Legion Auxiliary, Unit No. 579, and the campaign for the necessary funds instituted, all of which culminated in the splendid Memorial we are now here to dedicate.

The Committee here wishes to extend its appreciation to those whose services made this Memorial an actuality.

The designer and sculptor of the bronze figure is John Horrigan, Sr., of Boston, Mass.  The Studio in which the statue and markers were modeled and cast is T. F. McGann & Sons Co., Boston, Mass.  The beautiful granite boulder upon which the bronze figure stands is the gift of Mr. William Lighthall of Starkville, New York.  The moving and transporting of the huge boulder from its location near Starkville, Herkimer County, N.Y. , to Cooperstown presented a very difficult engineering  problem which was successfully completed by Hans H. Frey, as principal contractor and the sub-contractors Bart J. Ruddy, Inc., and Utica Trucking and Cartage Co., All of Utica, N.Y. The markers were placed by Everett A. Potter and Peter Jones of Cooperstown.  Miss Elizabeth Patterson of Cooperstown, suggested the inscription on the tablet on the front of the Memorial.  Alfred R. Cobbett and Ernest F. Tyler of Cooperstown, supervised the architectural details regarding the general design and the placing of the Memorial.

And last but not least the Committee is deeply grateful to those loyal and patriotic citizens of Cooperstown and vicinity whose suggestions, advice, and generous contributions have made the Memorial possible.

In Memoriam	Gold Star Mothers
Harry J. Andrews	Mrs. Viania O’Dell (deceased)
F. Clifford Bliss	Mrs. Frank Bliss
Robert G. Cobbett	Mrs. William Cobbett (deceased)
Joseph A. Coleman	Mrs Charles Coleman
James Fenimore Cooper, Jr.	Mrs.  James Fenimore Cooper
Vinton A. Dearing	Mrs. Mary H. Dearing
Foster Eggleston	Mrs. George Eggleston (deceased)
James Franklin Hayne	Mrs. James Hayne
Charles E. Hecox	Mrs. Kendrick Hecox
Walter Herrick	Mrs. James J. Shartz
Charles N. Hopkins	Mrs. Charles L. Hopkins
Leo A. Leach	Mrs. L. Leach (deceased)
Stephen J. Johnson	Mrs. Stephen Johnson
Charles Mc Graw	Mrs. Cora McGraw
Lewis N Mallory	Mrs. William Mallory
H. Lynn Marble	Mrs. James L. Marble (deceased)
Albert S. Peet	Mrs. Fenimore C. Peet (deceased)
George T. Record	Mrs. Chauncey A. Record
Henry Reed	Mrs. Hiram Reed (deceased)
Ralph R. Rexford	Mrs. L. Rexford (deceased)
Lewis W. Ross	Mrs. Fred Armstrong
Albert L. Seeber	Mrs.  George Seeber (deceased)
Walter A. Seeger	Mrs. Lester C. Seeger (deceased)
Clark F. Simmons	Mrs. Frank Simmons
John W. Stiles	Mrs. James Stiles
Fred L. Stilson	Mrs. M.D. Stilson
Harry A. Winn	Mrs. Abram Winn

 Committee

                        Walter Watson Stokes, Chairman                

Berton G. Johnson, Vice Chairman                             

Alfred Rcobbett, Treasurer                              

Mrs. Fletcher A Blanchard, Secretary             

Mrs. Floyd J. Atwell                                    Miss ElizabethG. Patterson

Fletcher A. Blanchard                                  Mrs. Alfred J. Peevers

Harold D. Carpenter                                     Adrian A. Pierson

Mrs. Alfred R. Cobbett                                 Dr. Leroy Pitcher

Miss Elizabeth Coleman                               Benjamin Reisman

Newton E.D. Gilmore                                   Mrs. Frank Simmons

Berton G. Johnson                 `                       William C. Smalley

Mrs. Berton G. Johnson                                 Mrs. James Stiles

Joseph P. Leary                                               Clermonte G. Tennant

Moses E. Lippitt                                             Orange L. Van Horne

Mrs. A. John Wedderspoon

Program

Invocation                                           The Rev. Gordon L. Kidd

Huggick-Purcell-Shepherd Post, American Legion, Richfield Springs Singing “America”

Presentation of Monument               Rowan D. Spraker, 

                                                              President of the Village   

Acceptance of Monument                Alfred R. Cobbett

                                                              Clark F. Simmons Post No. 579, 

                                                              American Legion, Cooperstown

Unveiling under direction of A. Leo Stevens, formerly chief instructor in Aeronautics, U.S. Army.

Dedication                                             The Hon. Clermonte G. Tennant, Cooperstown

Singing National Anthem 

Salute to the Dead

Taps

Benediction

 

Program by courtesy of the Freeman’s Journal Co.

Photo from The Doughboy Center, unattributed