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Please be advised that City offices will be closed on Monday, October 14th, in observance of the holiday

Civil War Memorial (Lady Liberty)

The Soldiers Monument "Female Liberty" was formally dedicated on July 4, 1876. The monument, designed by H.G. Ellicott of Virginia, is a memorial to the 55 citizens from Holyoke who died during the Civil War. The monument resides in Veterans Park that is located near the center of Holyoke. Standing above the granite base is the figure of Lady Liberty holding both a shield and a wreath. The front Inscription reads: In Memory of Our Volunteers Who Died For The Union 1861-1865. The granite base is adorned with four bronze relief plaques. These plaques are the highlight of the monument. The monument was provided by the city of Holyoke at a cost of $10,000. Its dedication was July, 4th, 1876.

Date of Installation:

July 4, 1876

Organization Responsible for Installation:

city of Holyoke Massachusetts

Memorial War Era(s):

Other

Location:

The Civil War Monument is located within Veterans Park in the City of Holyoke, Massachusetts. Monument GPS Coordinates: N 42012.502' W 072036.503'

(2020, December 29 ). Lady Liberty, Holyoke, Massachusetts. American Legion. https://www.legion.org/memorials/251424/lady-liberty-holyoke-massachusetts

The center die has an eternal flame on the front with the insignia of the 5 branches of the service and the words "VIETNAM -1959 to 1975". The Holyoke Vietnam Memorial that recognizes that lives were lost well before the recognized Federal Government dates of Aug5,1964 to May 7,1975.

The inscription in the book on top of the center die reads:

With Sincere appreciation to the men of Holyoke who gave their lives in-the Republic of Vietnam. To the men and women called upon to serve during an era of discord and turmoil and did so with great personal strength and courage. To those who 'have not returned and may never return we will never close the book on you.

Date of Installation: May 26, 1986

 

Organization Responsible for Installation:

 

Location:

The Vietnam War Monument is located within Veterans Park in the City of Holyoke, Massachusetts.

Holyoke War Memorial Building

The War, or Soldiers, Memorial Building was constructed in 1936 under the auspices of the city and the Public Works Administration (PWA) as a memorial to the "great war" now known as World War One. Its chief interior features are a large auditorium and three meeting rooms, plus several small offices. The Appleton street facade is inscribed: "1917-1918, War Memorial. The Veterans of the World War One share this memorial tribute with American Veterans of all times." Just as the smaller war memorial in Hampden Park reflected the tastes of the post-Civil War generation so did this building reflect the nationwide trend of erecting monumental structures in honor of the veterans of World War One. Located at 310 Appleton Street.

Crosier Field

Long known as "Soldier's Field", it was renamed and dedicated as Crosier Field on Armistice (Veteran's) Day, 1939, in memory of the late Major William J. Crosier.  Crosier was, for 15 years, the superintendent of Holyoke's parks and playgrounds.

Monument GPS Coordinates: N 42011.933' W 072037.855'

Prisoners of War

At the Small Island on Westfield Road: American, Ex-Prisoners of War, Non Solum Armis Latin for "Not by Arms Alone." In Memory of all Prisoners of War, 1989. Donated to Western Mass Chapter of EX-POWs. http://www.axpow.org/default.htm. American Ex-Prisoners of War is a not-for-profit, Congressionally-chartered veterans’ service organization advocating for former prisoners of war and their families. Established April 14, 1942. National Headquarters, 3201 East Pioneer Parkway #40, Arlington, TX 76010-5396, Tel: 817-649-2979.

Monument GPS Coordinates: N42011.701' W072038.111'

Mackenzie Field

Previously known as "The Range" and later known as "Beech Street Grounds", Mackenzie stadium, built as a Works Progress Administration project, was dedicated on Labor Day, September 4, 1939, in memory of the late John S. Mackenzie.  Mackenzie was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for extraordinary heroism on the U.S.S. Remlick, December 17, 1917.  It was Holyoke's first enclosed stadium and hosts numerous sport teams/events. The Valley Blue Sox a collegiate summer baseball team and member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, plays its home games at Mackenzie Stadium. Memorial located at east side near Beech Street gate. Monument GPS Coordinates: N 42012.081' W 072037.367'

Mitchell Field

Edwin J. Mitchell 1887-1913, Killed in Oise-Aisne France. Edwin J. Mitchell Field was originally named Prospect Field.  In was renamed in 1933 and formally dedicated in honor of Private Mitchell in 1937.  The field became most popular and at one time included the retaining wall, permanent bleachers and a new backstop. (Located at the Rotary at Muller Bridge).

Monument GPS Coordinates: N 42012.715' W 072036.783'

Sheard Park

Named in honor of Holyoke Army serviceman Lt. William "Bill" J. Sheard, who died in action in World War II December 21, 1944.  The former Ward Six playground was constructed in 1961 in the area known as Poor Park.  Bill Sheard was well known, captain of the baseball and basketball teams as well as president of the class of 1929 at Sacred Heart High. The park contains the bronze memorial plaque. Inscription reads:

Dedicated to the memory of
2nd Lt. William J. Sheard
Co. G 157th Inf. Regt. 7th Army
Sept. 11, 1911 + Dec. 21, 1944
Killed in Action in Germany during
World War II
Lt. Sheard was a love of sports and
a credit to this community in which
he lived
Citizens of Holyoke take pride
in honoring his memory

 

Marker is at the intersection of Jackson Street and Maple Street, on the right when traveling east on Jackson Street. Monument GPS Coordinates: N 42011.920' W 072037.066'

Veteran's Park

Originally known as Hampden Park, located in downtown Holyoke, it was renamed Veteran's Memorial Park on January 22, 1962.  This park is home to the Soldiers Monument "Female Liberty" which was formally dedicated on July 4, 1876.  The monument, designed by H.G. Ellicott of Virginia, is a memorial to the 55 people from Holyoke who died in the Civil War. Today, the park also contains Vietnam, Korean Conflict and World War II memorials, several benches and open space. Park GPS Coordinates: N 42012.509' W 072036.505'

Korean War Memorial

Korean Veterans Memorial

Dedicated to the memory and honor of those men from Holyoke who gave their lives in the Korean Conflict, 1950-1955.

Norman Brissette · William G. Carroll · Anthony J. Castro · Roland V. Charpentier · Richard F. Donoghue · Roland J. Dostie · Robert O. Fountain · Harry Fournier · Gerald J. Gagne · Frank M. Geraghty · Jules Hauterman, Jr. · Harold J. Kane · Roland E. LaFleur · James R. Law · Ferdinand J. McClure, Jr. · Martin R. Narey · James C. Reynolds · Edward H. Seavey · William J. Shaughnessy · Christopher H. Slater · James M. Sullivan · Harlan E. Talley · Arthur J. Thibault

 

Located in Veterans Park the Marker is on the north end of Holyoke's Hampden Park on Hampden Street west of Maple Street, on the left traveling west. Monument GPS Coordinates: N 42012.523' W 0720.36.477'

WWII Monument

World War II Memorial

Located in Veterans Park the Marker Inscription reads: Dedicated in honor of the 212 people from Holyoke who paid the supreme sacrifice and all others who served. Lest We Forget

Monument is at the south end of Holyoke's Hampden Park, bounded by Chestnut, Maple, Dwight and Hampden Streets. Monument GPS Coordinates: N 42012.509' W 072036.505'

Pulaski Memorial

General Tadeusz Kosciuszko Park and Gold Star Mothers Monument

Tadeusz Kosciuszko was born on February 4, 1746 in the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, in a village located in present-day Belarus. He graduated from the Corps of Cadets School in Warsaw. He travelled to the United States in 1776 to participate in the American Revolution against the British as a Colonel of Engineers in the Continental Army. Kosciuszko was a brilliant military engineer and was most famous for his design successful fortifications during the American Revolution. His first mission was to fortify the Philadelphia waterfront at Fort Mercer. In 1777 Kosciuszko designed the defenses of Saratoga that led to the defeat of the British and the surrender of General Gates. In 1778 Kosciuszko was the chief engineer in charge of designing and supervising the construction of the defenses at West Point, NY. In 1783, he was promoted to the rank of Brevet Brigadier General. Following the American defeat of the British he returned to Poland to join the fight for Polish independence as a Major General in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth's Army. Kosciuszko spent the last years of his life in Switzerland, where he died on October 15, 1817 at the age of 72. He is buried in Wawel Castle, in Krakow, Poland, where Polish kings are buried.

Dedicated Monday May 21, 1990.  A monument honoring Tadeusz Kosciuszko is inscribed on the front with a bas-relief sculpture of General Kosciuszko and the following inscription: 

GENERAL
TADEUSZ
KOSCIUSZKO
1746 {CANNON}1817
FATHER OF AMERICAN ARTILLERY
REVOLUTIONARY WAR HERO
DEFEATED BRITISH AT SARATOGA
FORTIFIED WEST POINT
POLAND'S COMMANDER IN CHIEF
1794 – 1795

 

The Monument is located at 151-173 Lyman Street. GPS Coordinates: N 42012.590' W 072036.342'

First Leutenant Edward W. Kennedy Monument

First Leutenant Edward W. Kennedy served during WWII.  Lived from 1921 to 1944.  Received the Silver Star at Anzio.  The monument is located in Kennedy Park which is bounded by Lincoln St, Waldo St, Nonotuck Street, and Allyn Street.

The B17 Memorial

On the service road to the top of Mount Tom, stands in memory of 25 returning servicemen of WWII whose lives, while in route from Goose Bay Labrador in 1946, came to a close when their aircraft crashed near this site. The memorial stone is engraved with the symbols of the various branches of military service, brief words about the crash, names of the servicemen and a prayer by Norman Cote, originator of the memorial. The site is funded and maintained by dedicated volunteers. The crash site went unmarked until 1994 when someone piled rocks there as a memorial. Holyoke resident Norman Cote noticed the rock memorial and persuaded local officials to establish a permanent monument on the old tramway. Fifty years after the tragedy, a monument was constructed at the crash site – dedicated on July 6, 1996, the Saturday before the 50th anniversary of the mishap.

Monument GPS Coordinates: N42014.753' W072038.572'

The Vietnam Memorial Bridge

(aka Holyoke Bridge, South Hadley Falls Bridge, and County Bridge) spans the Connecticut River between South Hadley and Holyoke, Massachusetts. It was built in 1990 to replace the original Holyoke to South Hadley "Old County Bridge", which was built in 1889 by New Jersey Steel and Iron Company and was designed by Edward S. Shaw. (Wikipedia Entry 2/7/2023)

The Joseph E. Muller Bridge

Crossing of the Connecticut River in Western Massachusetts, connecting the towns of Holyoke and South Hadley. The bridge carries U.S. Route 202 (US 202). History and construction of the bridge. The bridge was constructed in 1958 as part of a new bypass of U.S. Route 202 (Purple Heart Drive). The project was officially completed in October 1960, when the Sgt. Joseph E. Muller Bridge opened.

The bridge was named as a memorial to Holyoke native Joseph E. Muller, a recipient of the Medal of Honor.

Beaudoin Village Housing Project

Raymond Ovila Beaudoin (July 15, 1918 – April 6, 1945) was a United States Army officer and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration, the Medal of Honor, for his actions in World War II.

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