Albion students unveil marker at Civil War section of Mount Albion
ALBION – Marines Pvt. Trey Liberatore and Sgt. Derek Yertich raise the American flag today during a ceremony at Mount Albion Cemetery, where a new memorial plaque was unveiled in honor of the Civil War soldiers from the county.
The two Marines stand at attention while the flag is raised.
The seventh-grade class and many community members and veterans attended today’s dedication ceremony.
Abby Allen sings the National Anthem during today’s program.
Today culminated several months of effort for the seventh grade “Service Learning” classes that are led by teacher Tim Archer.
Students in the fall catalogued the burial locations for more than 250 Civil War veterans buried at Mount Albion. That includes 72 on the east side, 137 on the west side, and 41 at the Civil War section. About 160 of those veterans had rusty, old cast iron Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) markers that needed repainting.
The GAR marker for Christopher Drake was repainted, along with about 160 others that were rusty.
These students – Bailey Blanchard in front, Josh DePoty and Alexa Grandy – read the names of 47 Civil War veterans whose names weren’t included on the marble slabs inside the tower at Mount Albion when the tower was built in 1876.
The tower was dedicated on the country’s 100th anniversary and includes the names of 466 Orleans County residents who died in the Civil War. Seventh-graders researched the names of Orleans residents who died in the war, teaming with archivists and historians in the research.
These Orleans County residents died in the war but their names aren’t in the monument: Miles Ameden, James Bayn, Jonas Bayne, Lyman Blanchard, Henry Burbank, Martin Burnett, James Caldwell, Jefferson Chapman, Oliver Clark, James Collins, William Crann, Dolly Denison, Edmund Everett, George Everett, Edmund Furndon, James Hammon, Henry Harden, Willis Herman, Edwin Holsenberg, Alexander Hosbury, Charles Hulbert, S. Hunnant, John Hurburger, Jenkins Irving, Lawrence Keegan, Ira Kelsey, Frederick Kruse, George Lytle, John McPherson, Thomas Morrison, William Mulligan, Ethan Murin, Alfred Parkinson, Monroe Peaslee, George Washington Pier, Abial Randall, Elisha Sanderson, John Simmons, Arrill Snyder, George Stanton, Charles Starks, George Sutton, Lewis Teyrrell, William Trow, Nathan Venton, George Woodhull, Gilbert Woodhull.
Orleans County Historian Matthew Ballard, who helped students with some of the research on the Civil War soldiers, speaks about the creation of the 50-square-foot lot at Mount Albion for veterans at the site of today’s ceremony. The spot was picked for veterans back in 1883.
Ballard thanked seventh-graders for their “noble deed” in remembering and honoring veterans.
About 200 people attended today’s ceremony including the Honor Guard from the American Legion.
Seventh-grader Emily Mergler, wearing period dress for the ceremony, said women also made many sacrifices during the Civil War, keeping houses, farms and businesses running while caring for children while their husbands were at war or killed in battle. Tim Archer, the Service Learning teacher, is in back.
Seventh-grader Infinity Bell talks about some of the Civil War soliders from the community.
Seventh-grader Quinn McCue highlights some of the class’s efforts this year. She said the group isn’t done. It will unveil a historical marker in September at Hillside Cemetery in Clarendon for Herbert Charles Taylor, the only Orleans County resident believed to have been killed in the Battle of Gettysburg.
Student Rocco Auricchio reads a poem, “Our Soldier Dead,” by Joel B. Swett.
Seventh-grader Eli Pask notes the sesquicentennial of the surrender at the Appomattox Court House. The 150th anniversary was in April 2015.
The new bronze plaque for Orleans County Civil War soldiers was unveiled today. The plaque is on a 6-foot-long piece of Medina sandstone donated by Fred Pilon. The stone was saved when an Albion street was torn up about a decade ago.
Seventh-grader Jakob Talbot unveiled the new marker. Students also planted a sugar maple tree by the Civil War section and placed an urn by the cannon.
Members of the American Legion Honor Guard do a gun salute after the marker was unveiled.
These students – Ashley Ames, Logan Conlon, Sierra Kast, Kailey Merrill and Lauren Wehling – play Taps at the service today.
Tim Archer listens to his students during today’s program. Archer thanked many of the local historians and Mount Albion staff for help with the Civil War research and recognition efforts this year.
He said he and the students enjoyed spending so much time in the historic cemetery.
“This cemetery is really a treasure that we have right here in our community,” Archer said.
