The Soldiers' Monument is a memorial consisting of three statues, one in bronze and two in marble by sculptor

Lorado Taft Lorado Zadok Taft (April 29, 1860 – October 30, 1936) was an American sculptor, writer and educator. Part of the American Renaissance movement, his monumental pieces include, ''Fountain of Time'', ''Spirit of the Great Lakes'', and ''The ...

, grouped around an

exedra An exedra (: exedras or exedrae) is a semicircular architecture, architectural recess or platform, sometimes crowned by a semi-dome, and either set into a building's façade or free-standing. The original Greek word ''ἐξέδρα'' ('a seat ou ...

Pond and Pond Pond and Pond was an American architecture firm established by the Chicago architects Irving Kane Pond and Allen Bartlitt Pond. Overview Working in the Arts and Crafts idiom, the brothers gained renown for elaborately detailed brickwork and irr ...

. It is located in

Oregon, Illinois Oregon ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Ogle County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,721 in 2010.U.S. Census BureaPopulation, Age, Sex, Race, Households/ref> History The land Oregon, Illinois was founded on was previously h ...

, the county seat of

Ogle County, Illinois Ogle County is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2020 United States census, it had a population of 51,788. Its county seat is Oregon, and its largest city is Rochelle. Ogle County comprises Rochelle ...

. It was dedicated in 1916. The sculpture is part of the

Oregon Commercial Historic District The Oregon Commercial Historic District is a historic district in Oregon, Illinois, that has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 2006. The district is roughly bordered by Jefferson, Franklin, 5th and 3rd Streets in O ...

. The district was designated and listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in August 2006.

Location

This example of

public art Public art is art in any Media (arts), media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and phy ...

is located just off

Illinois Route 64 Illinois Route 64 (IL 64, Illinois 64) is an east–west state highway in Northern Illinois. Its western terminus is at the Iowa state line, connecting with U.S. Route 52 in Illinois, U.S. Route 52 (US 52) and Iowa Highway 64 via th ...

as it passes through Oregon. It sits on the southeast side of the Old Ogle County Courthouse square.

Monument

Description

The eyes are drawn to the centered white

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock consisting of carbonate minerals (most commonly calcite (CaCO3) or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) that have recrystallized under the influence of heat and pressure. It has a crystalline texture, and is ty ...

stairs which lead up to the main part of the monument. At the top of the stairs is the dominating feature of the installation. Taft's oversized Classical female figure stands with her arms outstretched, clutching a

laurel wreath A laurel wreath is a symbol of triumph, a wreath (attire), wreath made of connected branches and leaves of the bay laurel (), an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. It was also later made from spineless butcher's broom (''Ruscus hypoglossum'') or cher ...

in each hand. Behind her is an

which was designed by the architects Pond and Pond. The exedra extends around the installation and to either side of the female sculpture are built-in benches. Above the benches are

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

plaques honoring veterans of the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

and the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

;Ogle County Courthouse
, Attractions, City of Oregon. Retrieved 30 January 2007. above the individual war plaques is bronze plating that reads, "Ogle County Honors Her Sons." Flanking the dominant sculpture are two soldiers atop pedestals, one facing north and the other facing south. Tafts's soldiers were cut from marble obtained in the U.S. state of Georgia. The Soldiers' Monument was constructed, on the approval of the Ogle County Board in 1916, for no more than $21,000. Today (2007), this example of the work of

is estimated to be worth over $1,000,000. Ogle County OR CHD Soldiers Monument3

Interpretation

The center female bronze figure, holding the laurel wreaths, represents America. The soldier on the south side of the monument is an

infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...

man and is staring north, toward home. The other soldier, on the north half of the installation, is a

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

soldier, he is looking south, with his hand on the

hilt The hilt (rarely called a haft or shaft) is the handle of a knife, dagger, sword, or bayonet, consisting of a guard, grip, and pommel. The guard may contain a crossguard or quillons. A tassel or sword knot may be attached to the guard or pomme ...

of his sword. The cavalry soldier is looking toward battle.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Soldiers' Monument Buildings and structures completed in 1916 Buildings and structures in Oregon Commercial Historic District Sculptures by Lorado Taft Monuments and memorials in Illinois 1916 sculptures Bronze sculptures in Illinois Marble sculptures in Illinois Historic district contributing properties in Illinois Statues in Illinois Sculptures of men in Illinois Sculptures of women in Illinois 1916 establishments in Illinois Monuments and memorials on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois