Effort Underway To Preserve WWI Memorials In Illinois
Loredo Taft's Victory Monument in Danville, seen here in a postcard circa 1923, is one of many World War One monuments in Illinois. The monument was moved in the 1950s from the location shown here to its current site at Main and Gilbert streets. C. T. American Art, Chicago/Wikimedia Commons
Efforts are underway to locate and restore outdoor World War I memorials and monuments across Illinois.
The Mattoon-Charleston Journal-Gazette & Times-Courier reports the nonprofit organization Landmarks Illinois is offering monetary assistance to residents, organizations and government agencies interested in preserving World War I monuments through a new matching grant program. The program launched in April amid the 100th anniversary of the U.S. entry into the war.
Landmarks Illinois President and CEO Bonnie McDonald says the program provides a "critical funding for aging historical markers that pay homage to local heroes who served in the Great War.''
Most World War I monuments were put up in the 1920s and 1930s, so many are showing a lot of wear and tear.
Grants ranging from $500 to $5,000 will be provided through next year. The next application deadline is November 15. More grants will be awarded in 2018, with application deadlines set for May 15 and August 15.