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From: "Charles & Dorothy Gosse" <>
Subject: Urgent - Oakdale's Civil War Monument, Oelwein, IA
Date: Wed, 15 May 2002 16:27:47 -0500


To quote the Oelwein Daily Register, Wednesday, May 15, 2002 from their city council report ...

"Lines were drawn when American Legion members John Sanborn and Cora O'Brien approached the council about MOVING a century-old (Civil War) statue from Oakdale Cemetery to a more prominent location at the twin parks along Highway 150 north of downtown (Walter Chrysler and Veterans Parks) .

Councilwomen Vi Sims and Jacque (Heldt) Greco opposed the proposal.

Sims said the statue is of historical significance at it's location because it was placed there to stand sentinel to Civil War dead."

Many of us feel as Vi Sims does and feel the Civil War Monument placed by the GAR in Oakdale Cemetery 100 years ago should remain there !!! For those not familiar with the Walter Chrysler and Veterans Parks, they are two small areas that are too small to be of value. Oelwein claims that Chrysler built his first car in Oelwein, a fact that Chrysler historians seem to disagree with ... he became interested in cars, bought his first car and took it apart in Oelwein while working for the Chicago Great Western railroad. He moved on from Oelwein to another railroad position and several years later went to work for Buick before starting Chrysler Motors. The Veterans area is a monument to recent veterans with a lighted flag pole and flowers in season. The lighted flag pole is one argument Mrs. O'Brien brought up, "It's a shame not to have a flag. I just feel he (the statue) should be up there with the other boys".

I am asking anyone with Oelwein and/or Oakdale Cemetery interests to e-mail me with their opinion ... keep in mind that Oelwein did not exist during the Civil War but Jefferson township and their cemetery did. Only after Oelwein became a town, some 20 years after the first known burial, it became the Oelwein Cemetery and today, Oakdale. Woodlawn was established in early 1900's.

Please let me know ....

Dorothy Gosse


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