The next time you travel down our Main Street and glance over at the State House Plaza to enjoy the beautiful Concord Christmas tree and manger, I hope you find peace, joy and contentment.
Please look beyond the tree and think back to the month of July, 1892. This was the date that our Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Arch was dedicated on the plaza. This memorial arch was constructed by the city of Concord at a cost of $20,000 126 years ago. Such care was given to the quest for the appropriate location of this memorial that Frederick Law Olmstead was summoned to Concord to find the location that would be the most appropriate, with Law suggesting the location that we see today.
Our ancestors had survived the Civil War as well as others, and destined for the Great War in the future. Many of the soldiers and sailors that left Concord for the war, departing from the train depot in Railroad Square, left in search of peace for their families and those that they loved. Perhaps some of them found peace – I hope they did – many never returned to Concord. So we, the citizens of Concord, sought to “Commemorate the patriotism of the men and women of Concord who served their country on land and sea, in several wars, to establish, defend and maintain the unity of the Republic.”
The next time you travel down our Main Street and glance over, remember the men and women that made the ultimate sacrifice so that we could live free. Look at that beautiful Christmas tree and see the spirits of our soldiers and sailors, too. Take a moment to remember and honor them as our ancestors did on that warm day in July of 1892.
Jim Spain
