Ireton Civil War Monument

The monument consists of a life-size bronze statue of a Civil War soldier atop a granite obelisk, a centerpiece and then a larger base. Engraved on the front of 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. The right side of the obelisk is engraved with the names of 23 Civil War veterans who were buried at Pleasant Hill before the monument was dedicated. Since the monument was dedicated just a year after the end of World War I, the left side of the obelisk is engraved with the names of the 8 area men who died in the Great War. The back side of the monument is engraved with the names of the committee who planned it and raised funds for it. In more recent years, Bertram Post added a bronze plaque with the names of servicemen and women who died in later conflicts: 7 during World War II, 2 during the Korean War, and 3 during the Vietnam War. The base and granite obelisk were created by the Hawarden Monument Works, brought to Ireton by train and then taken to the cemetery by horse and wagon. We have not found a record of the company casting the soldier; however, the statue arrived separately from the base -- just barely in time for the dedication.