Peace Monuments in Michigan & Wisconsin (USA)

Right click image to enlarge.

June 17, 1940 - Peace Carillon, Belle Isle Park, Detroit River, Detroit, Michigan (USA). 85-foot tower designed by Clarence E. Day (brother-in-law of James E. Scripps, publisher of the Detroit News). Funds raised by journalist Nancy Brown who wrote a column for the Detroit News called "Experience" from 1919 to 1942 The 49-bell carillon was restored & computer automated in 2005. Right image shows inscription: "Dedicated to the glory of God and in hope of everlasting peace between the peoples of the Dominion of Canada and of the Vnited States of America. Monvment Bvilders of America-AD 1941."Entry #498 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

1941 - International Peace Monument (Bench), Belle Isle Park, Detroit River, Detroit, Michigan (USA). Carved on the back of the bench are an eagle with 13 stars for the US & a crown & lion for Canada. Entry #494 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

July 4, 1943 - Statue of Abraham & Mary Todd Lincoln, East Park (now Gateway Technical College), Racine, Wisconsin (USA). First statue of Lincoln with his wife Mary Todd Lincoln [1818-1882].

After 1960 - Kennedy Marker, on steps of the Michigan Union building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (USA). Embedding on spot where President Kennedy stood when he announced the idea of the Peace Corps on October 14, 1960. Entry #490 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001). Visited by EWL.

1964 - "Freedom of the Human Spirit," New York World's Fair, Flusing Meadow, Queens New York City, New York (USA). By Marshall W. Fredericks [1908-1998]. Moved in 1996 to the main entrance of the Arthur Ashe Stadium, National Tennis Center (NTC), also in Flushing (right image). The artist made a second casting of the 28-foot tall sculpture in 1986, and it was installed in his hometown, Birmingham, Michigan (left image).

1965 - Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History (MAAH), 315 East Warren Avenue, Detroit, Michigan (USA). One of 27 US museums in "Museums for Peace Worldwide" edited by Kazuyo Yamane (2008).

1972 - "American Eagle," Gerald R. Ford Museum & Burial Site, 303 Pearl Street NW, Grand Rapids, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49504-5353 (USA). NB: Ford Library is at different address: 1000 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109. Gerald Ford [1913-2006] was US president 1974-1977. The eagle statue in front of the museum is by Marshall Fredericks [1908-1998]. Installed in September 1981? Nearby is at the Van Andel Museum Center is "Flying Geese," spulpted by Fredericks in 1981.

1976 - Megiddo Peace Table, Ann Arbor, Michigan (USA). "Served as the opening peace table at the 1999 Hague Appeal for Peace, the world's largest ever peace meeting. Noble peace prize winners Desmond Tutu, Rigoberta Menchu Tum, and Jose Ramos Horta sat around the table, moderated by David Andrews of Ireland, and talked of what they had learned in their peace efforts in South Africa, Guatemala, and East Timor. The table served in the room where different meetings discussed small arms dealing, child soldiers, nuclear weapons, the war in the Sudan, and two sessions on Jerusalem." Activist Alan Haber and his wife Odile Hugonot Haber propose "to take the peace table to a peace meeting" in Megiddo (Israel). Bottom image is sight from Hill of Megiddo (Har Megiddo = Armageddon), ancient crossroads of Egypt, Europe, and Persia, a hoped-for location of the Peace Table.

Date? - Peace Memorial Statue, Oakwood Mausoleum, Oakwood Cemetery, 6100 Gratiot Road, Saginaw, Michigan (USA). "This statue of a man beating his swords into plowshares is the biblical representation of peace."

1984 - Samantha Smith & Katerina Lycheva Children's Peace Garden, Pine Grove Park, Port Huron, Michigan (USA). Click here for Wikipedia article about Samantha Smith [1972-1985]. See 1989 statue in Augusta, Maine (USA). Soviet schoolgirl Katerina Lycheva (age 11) made a five-city "peace trip" tour of the USA as a memorial to Samantha Smith (who died at age 13). Entry #510 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

1985 - Peace Pole Makers USA, 7221 South Wheeler Road, Maple City, Michigan (USA). Click here for an anticle about Peace Pole Makers USA (Fall 2000). Click here for a YouTube video of a visit to Peace Pole Makers USA (July 2008).

June 13, 1986 - Swords Into Plowshares Peace Center & Gallery, Central United Methodist Church, 33 East Adams Avenue (corner of Woodward Avenue), Detroit, Michigan (USA). "5,000 sq. ft. art gallery, gift shop, children's corner & reference library." "Brings together the arts and the need for world peace." Created by James W. Bristah [1919-2001] & managed by Lois St. Aubin White. Right image shows part an exhibition at the center about Paul Robeson. One of 27 US museums in "Museums for Peace Worldwide" edited by Kazuyo Yamane (2008).

April 8, 1988 - Tree of Peace, Bird Effigy Mound, Observatory Drive, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin (USA). "Small, pine sapling was laid into the earth under the spiritual guidance of Mohawk Elder Jake Swamp, traditional teacher of the Iroquois Longhouse, during an hour long prayer vigil. The prayer was a long set of instructions for the young tree to abide by as it slowly grew into maturity."

1988 - Marhall M. Fredericks Sculpture Museum & Sculpture Garden, Saginaw Valley State University, 7400 Bay Road, University Center, Michigan (USA). The work of sculptor Marshall Fredericks [1908-1998]. Click here for all of Fredericks' peace sculpture.

1989 – Peace Circle, Knudsen Elementary School, Waterford, Michigan (USA). Daily assembly of school children around a peace pole and a US flag.

Date? - World Wall for Peace (WWFP), Detroit, Michigan (USA). One of many tiled World Walls for Peace in several different counries. Where is this one in Detroit?

1991 - Stop, Look, and Listen, A. J. Muste Alcove, Van Wylan Library (2nd floor), Hope College, Holland, Michigan (USA). "Named for Hope College alumnus and well-known peace activist A. J. Muste [1885-1967]. He spent his life working with Quakers and Communists, organized labor and radical peace activists, all in the name of non-violent solutions to the world's problems. The green sculpture pieces were created by a Hope graduate. They offer a graffiti-friendly way to express your thoughts and convictions." Entry #494 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

1993 - Mural of Peace, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (USA). By Puerto Rican artist Reynaldo Hernandez who "works as a muralist throughout the state, creating murals which reflect the culture or community that requests his work."

Date? - Memorial, James Madison Park, Madison, Wisconsin (USA). Dedicated to the veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Other ALB memorials in Seattle, WA, & San Francisco, CA (qv).

S T A T U E

1994 - Underground Railroad Memorial, near W.K. Kellogg Manor House, off of West Van Buren Street, Battle Creek, Michigan (USA). "The nation's largest monument to the Underground Railroad. The 28 foot long & 14 foot high bronze statue was made possible by the generosity of the WK Kellogg Foundation & Glenn A. Cross Estate. By sculptor Ed Dwight. The lovely park like setting with flower-lined pathways showcases the beauty of the statue. A information kiosk is on site to provide information. Honors the men & women who operated the Underground Railroad, specifically Harriet Tubman [1822-1913] and Erastus & Sarah Hussey. The latter were local conductors of the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman never came to Battle Creek."

T R E E

October 4, 1997 - Gandhi Tree of Knowledge, Shapiro Undergraduate Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan (USA). "A memorial to Gandhi's life & teachings. Result of the joint effort of the Indian American Student Association & Project Serve. Assistant Provost & Director of the Office of Academic Multicultural Initiatives John Matlock, who [attended the dedication], stressed that activism can appear in a variety of forms & that students can make it a daily part of their lives."

B E L L

December 31, 1999 - Millennium Bell, Grand Circus Park, Detroit, Michigan (USA). On east side of the park. Ten ton bell steel & bronze bell celebrating the new millennium. Total weight 20,000 pounds. Project budget $330,000. Designed by Chris Turner & Matt Blake [1965-2008]. "One day, years ago, Blake discovered the ringer was missing. Different stories circulate about how & where he found the ringer. In any event, according to artist & friend Jerome Ferretti, Blake took the ringer to his garage & sent a 'ransom note' to the city, demanding that officials protect the ringer before he would return it. 'Matt was outrageous,' Ferretti says."

September 6, 2001 - Ecliptic Park, Rosa Parks Circle, Grand Rapids, Michigan (USA). Designed by Maya Lin. Intended to depict water as solid, liquid & vapor. "The heart of [the park] is a skating rink that converts into an amphitheater in the warmer months & is lit by tiny fiber-optic lights, which are embedded in its surface & laid out in a pattern representing a constellation of stars as of January 1, 2000." "Lin's first project incorporating art & architecture in one site. The rings create an optical illusion in which their slight slope also makes the surface of the rink appear to tilt with the earth's curvature." The park also contains a steaming "Water Table Fountain" [lower image], two small service buildings in steel & concrete, a pair of fountains & short, wandering paths through landscaped mounds of grass that rise and fall in waves about three feet high. /// Grand Rapid's famour LibDub video was made in & around the park in May 2011.

October 20, 2001 - Gateway to Freedom, Hart Plaza, Detroit, Michigan (USA). Depicts a group of slaves on US soil looking towards Canada and freedom. Detroit was on the central route to freedom, the "underground railroad." Sculpted by Ed Dwight. A collaboration of "Detroit 300" & the International Underground Railroad Monument Collaborative.

October 20, 2001 - Tower of Freedom, 100 Pitt Street East, Windsor, Ontario (Canada). "Faces the Gateway to Freedom monument across the Detroit River and together are called the International Memorial to the Underground Railroad. A 22 foot tower with a bronze Flame of Freedom created by Denver based sculptor Ed Dwight. The monument honours the harrowing journey made by thousands in search of freedom and pays tribute to Ontario’s role in the Underground Railroad."

B E L L

2003 - Liberty Bell, The Highground Veterans Memorial Park, Neillsville, Wisconsin (USA). An exact replica of the original Liberty Bell. Cast in France, mounted on a trailer, and taken to thousands of schools throughout the USA. Now housed in an authentic timber frame building made by Master Timber Framer Lyle Lindholm & volunteers.

M U S E U M

2005 - Arab American National Musuem, 13624 Michigan Avenue, Dearborn, Michigan (USA). "First museum in the world devoted to Arab American history & culture. By bringing the voices and faces of Arab Americans to mainstream audiences, we continue our commitment to dispel misconceptions about Arab Americans and other minorities. We brings to light the shared experiences of immigrants and ethnic groups, paying tribute to the diversity of our nation." Entrance mural designed by Dr. Fayeq Oweis of California. A Smithsonian Affiliate.

2005 - Four-sided Peace Poles at private homes in Michigan (USA). Pole at left (showing Polish & German) was planted in Traverse City in 2005. Pole at right (showing English) was planted at 163 Wythe Street, Pentwater (near Lake Michigan), about 1995.

Date? - Peace Park, Ann Arbor & Inverness Streets, Dexter, Michigan (USA). "A .2-acre mini park on the east side of the Village, has picnic tables and benches for residents to enjoy. The mission of Peace Park is to encourage residents to relax and reflect on the cultural and social diversity of the Village." Click here for satellite image.

Date? - Flint Sitdown Strike Memorial, Sitdowners Memorial Park, Flint, Michigan (USA). Honors "sitdowners" of the 1936-1937 UAW automobile strike..

Date? - Flint Sitdown Strike Historical marker, Sitdowners Memorial Park, Flint, Michigan (USA).

November 20, 2009 - Peace Monument, Wausau, Wisconsin (USA). "Brainchild of Egyptian exchange student Mustafah Saleh and Chuck McCarthy from the Good News Project. Richard Riley from the State Department and Mahmoud Amer from the Egyptian Consulate...talked about the importance of local diplomacy and how it's interactions like this that can lead to peace, not just on a strategic or national scale, but person to person. Saleh said he will take its plans back home and get a similar structure built there.

2011 - New Baltimore, Michigan (USA). North of Detroit. "Lynn & Wayne Bell stand behind the 10 foot scaled replica of the Perry's Victory & International Peace monument at their home on September 15, 2011. Wayne Bell recently had it made for his wife; he proposed to her at that monument about 20 years ago."

June 31, 1931 - Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial, Put-in-Bay, South Bass Island, Ohio (USA). "Established to honor those who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie, during the war of 1812, but in equal part it is here to celebrate the long-lasting peace between Britain, Canada, and the US." /// "A 352 foot (107 m) monument — the world's most massive Doric column — was constructed in Put-in-Bay, Ohio by a multi-state commission from 1912 to 1915 "to inculcate the lessons of international peace by arbitration and disarmament." Beneath the stone floor of the monument lie the remains of three American officers and three British officers. It is among the tallest monuments in the United States (the Gateway Arch, San Jacinto Monument, and the Washington Monument are taller). Although substantially completed in 1915, funding problems prevented the proper completion of a fully realized memorial complex. In 1919 the federal government assumed control of the monument and provided additional funding. The official dedication was celebrated on July 31, 1931. In 2002, 2.4 million dollars was spent on a new visitor center. The memorial is visited by 200,000 people each year." Entry #818 in the "Peace Movement Directory" by James Richard Bennett (2001).

Future - Peace Statue, northwest corner of Wausau Center Mall (intersection of River Drive, Washington Street & First Street), Wausau, Wisconsin (USA). "A 10-foot-tall statue of a steel globe with a dove below it with the word 'peace' written on one wing in English and on the other wing in Arabic." Proposed by Moustafa Saleh, an Egyptian foreign exchange student at Northcentral Technical College. "Saleh, 29, told the Capital Improvements & Street Maintenance Committee that he wanted to show his appreciation for Wausau’s acceptance of him while he was a guest. The committee approved the sculpture 4-1 on May 14 following a heated debate between council members Ed Gale and Matt Kaiser. Gale, a retired Marine, supported the idea and grew angry when Kaiser suggested the peace message might be objectionable to some military veterans."