Around Town

Our History: Restoration of the Civil War Soldiers’ Monument

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The newly restored Civil War Soldiers’ Monument (Photo courtesy of Joyce Kelly)

The following story is part of a series on local history provided by the Historical Society of Watertown. It was written by Jon Spector, a former Board member of the Historical Society of Watertown for the January 2014 Historical Society newsletter, “The Town Crier.”

We are pleased to report that the historic Civil War Soldiers’ Monument in Saltonstall Park has at last been restored.  Historical Society of Watertown Council Member Jon Spector was the Chair of this project. 

This statue stood in disrepair for decades and would have remained so if Jon had not taken the initiative to get it restored. His diligence in getting the word out, raising the funds, writing the newsletter to keep people updated on the progress and pursuing the grant in conjunction with the town was a lot of work. His dedication to the restoration of this monument is evident. What a transformation!

Around Town

Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Rev. Joseph Thayer

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Rev. Joseph Henry Thayer

By Bill McEvoy

In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part 15 of 15. Reverend Joseph Henry Thayer was born November 7, 1828, in Boston. He died on November 26, 1901, at Cambridge, from general sarcoma. He graduated from Harvard College in 1850.

Around Town

Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Rev. George Oviatt

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Rev. George Alexander Oviatt

By Bill McEvoy

In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part 14 of 15. Reverend George Alexander Oviatt was Born on April 11, 1811, in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He died June 1, 1887, in Sudbury, Massachusetts, from paralysis. Reverend Oviatt, graduated from Yale in 1835, and then its divinity school.

Around Town

Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Rev. Charles Noyes

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By Bill McEvoy

In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part 13 of 15. Reverend Charles Noyes was born October 26, 1835, in Petersham, Massachusetts, and died on May 23, 1916, in Norwich, Connecticut. He attended the Hopkins classical school in Cambridge, and later the Cambridge High School. He graduated from Harvard College in 1856 and from the Harvard Divinity School in 1859. 

In January 1860, he was installed as the pastor of the Unitarian society at Brighton, Massachusetts, from which he resigned in 1864 due to ill health.

Around Town

Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Rev. Edward Hall

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Rev. Edward Henry Hall

By Bill McEvoy

In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part 12 of 15. Reverend Edward Henry Hall was born on April 16, 1831, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He died February 22, 1912, from pneumonia, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He attended High School in Providence, while his father was settled there as pastor of the First Congregational Church.

Around Town

Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Rev. Eben Francis

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Rev. Eben Francis

By Bill McEvoy

In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part 11 of 15. Reverend Eben Francis was born May 28th, 1819, in Boston. He died October 31, 1892, at Cambridge from atrophy, which is softening of the brain. On October 13th, 1841, he was ordained as a Unitarian Universalist Minister in Dover, New Hampshire.

Around Town

Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Rev. John William Dadmum

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Rev. John William Dadmum

By Bill McEvoy

In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part 1o of 15. Reverend John William Dadmun, was born December 20, 1819, at Hubbardston, Massachusetts. He died August 6, 1890, at Deer Island, Massachusetts, from Apoplexy. He received his early education at Wesleyan Academy, at Wilbraham, Mass.

Around Town

Civil War Clergy at Mount Auburn Cemetery: Rev. Arthur Lawrence

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Rev. Arthur Lawrence

By Bill McEvoy

In honor of Memorial Day, local historian Bill McEvoy has compiled histories of some of the Civil War clergy who are buried at Mount Auburn Cemetery. This is part nine of 15. Reverend. Arthur Lawrence was born on August 22, 1842, at Brookline, Massachusetts. He died September 20, 1909, in Ipswich, Massachusetts, of Meningitis.