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Published: July 29th 2015
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An earlier article looked at some of Savannah’s squares that contain major statues, but there are over three dozen more statues and commemorations in the Historic District. We also need to consider at least the two main public parks – beautiful green spaces that contain many commemoratives. They are the smaller Emmet (or Irish) Park near the River, and the much larger Forsyth Park at the southern end of the Historic District. But first, some background ...
The colour green means more than just grass to Savannah – it represents everything Irish, and that’s important, because the Irish have played important roles in Georgia’s history. Savannah’s first St Patrick’s Day parade was held in 1813, and today, with more than 350 floats, groups and marching bands, it is reputed to be the second largest one in the world: it is certainly one of Savannah's most important annual events. Some of the major city attractions are even dyed green for the occasion.
The Irish started to arrive in Georgia way back in General Oglethorpe’s time. Being no friends of the English and seeking to escape domination by them, they continued to arrive from Ireland in dribs and drabs. They played
prominent roles in the American War of Independence, and later remained in the new nation. Most of all, America was considered a friendly destination during the mid-19th century “potato famine”, so thousands more immigrated, often in time to fight in the Civil War. Here are a couple of very informative web-sites: http://boards.ancestry.com/localities.britisles.ireland.general/7169/mb.ashx and http://www.savannahsaintpatricksday.com/ . So there you have the background … now on to the two main parks.
Emmet (a.k.a. Irish)Park: It was named for the Irish in general, but especially for patriot Robert Emmet (1778-1803) who led an unsuccessful Dublin uprising for independence and was executed for treason. He was a hero to Savannah's Irish community, and this park commemorates the centennial of his death. Over the years many other events and groups have been commemorated here, likely because of the location where it is sure to be seen and visited by locals and tourists alike.
Notable is the Chatham Artillery Monument, commemorating one of the oldest standing militia units in the US, formed in 1785. This gray marble monument stands 11 feet (c.3 ½ m) high, and is surmounted by a bronze eagle. The inscription reads: “Dedicated May 4, 1986 to honor the members
of the Chatham Artillery, Servants of God, Country, State and Community. Soldiers in War, Patriots in Peace".
A recent addition (1991) is the marble Vietnam War Memorial, which includes a representation of the country of Vietnam displayed in the center of a reflecting pool. On top are a bronze helmet, rifle, and pair of combat boots to honor fallen comrades. To the right of the pool is a list, engraved in marble, of the 106 men and women of Savannah who made the ultimate sacrifice in Vietnam.
Forsyth Park: It began as ten acres of woodland, set aside in 1840 for a public park. In 1853 twenty more acres were donated by Governor Forsyth, for whom the park was named. It was gradually expanded and developed over the years. Today its 30 acres (0.12km²) contain paved pathways, a café, a children's playground, a spectacular fountain, tennis courts, areas to play soccer and frisbee, and space for a weekly Farmers’ Market. There is also lots of grass for just plain lounging, and outdoor concerts are sometimes held there too.
Its showpiece fountain was modeled after the one in Paris’ Place de la Concorde, and was added in
1853. During Saint Patrick’s Day festivities, the water is dyed green. It underwent a gentle top-to-bottom scrubbing in mid-February while we were there.
For me, the huge Confederate Soldier's Monument (1879) was Savannah's most interesting memorial. Funded by private donations, it features a bronze Confederate soldier, facing northward, atop a column of Nova Scotia sandstone.
Nova Scotia?!? – yes, those who commissioned the monument didn’t want to use any ‘Yankee’ (northerner) materials, so they had it built in Canada and even shipped it from Halifax by sea directly to Savannah so that it would never be "defiled" by contact with any 'Yankee' territory. It is accompanied by smaller statues of some prominent Confederate officers.
There is also a memorial to the Spanish-American War (3 ½ months in 1898). There were actually several campaigns, with a lot of casualties, in both the Caribbean (notably Cuba) and the Pacific (the Philippines). When that war is mentioned now, most people only think of Theodore Roosevelt and the “Roughriders” charging up San Juan Hill. For complete information go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish%!E(MISSING)2%93American_War
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Rainyb
Lorraine Brecht
ooooooo nice view, nice shot ;o)