Cranford Historical Society Dedicates Civil War Monument on Memorial Day

Cranford Historical Society Dedicates Civil War Monument on Memorial Day

At this year’s Memorial Day observance on Monday, May 27, 2013, the Cranford Historical Society will be honoring Cranford's Civil War veterans by dedicating a new monument in Memorial Park. The dedication will be taking place during the 150th anniversary of the American Civil War, which began in 2011 and runs until 2015.

On October 27, 2009, the Township of Cranford adopted a resolution designating the Cranford Historical Society as the lead organization for commemorating that defining period of American history. The Society has been sponsoring programs throughout the war's anniversary to broaden public awareness of the transformative events leading to the conclusion of that great struggle. It is the Society’s hope and intention that this new memorial stone will stand as a reminder to present and future generations of the contributions and sacrifices made by our town's prior residents.

About eighty people who fought during the Civil War either lived in the area prior to the war or moved to town after the war. Numerous veterans held key positions in early Cranford. Several served as mayor or township committee members. Another was Cranford's longest-serving town justice. Many Civil War veterans developed or farmed the land in Cranford. Others established churches in the community.

Many of the town's residents took part in major battles during the Civil War. Some even had direct connections with President Abraham Lincoln, including two who were reported to be present in Ford’s Theatre the night the president was fatally shot. Another helped foil the first assassination plot against President-elect Lincoln as he made his way to his first inauguration in Washington.

Steven D. Glazer, Chairperson of the Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee of the Cranford Historical Society, has for the past decade studied and written about Cranford and the Civil War. He is the author of Discover Your Community’s Civil War Heritage, in addition to being a contributor to New Jersey Goes to War and New Jersey’s Civil War Odyssey, official publications of the New Jersey Civil War Heritage Association's Sesquicentennial Committee.

The Civil War monument's installation and accompanying dedication pamphlet are the culmination of over ten years of research and fundraising by the Cranford Historical Society’s Civil War Sesquicentennial Committee, and was supported by a Union County History Grant from the Union County Board of Chosen Freeholders.

 Founded in 1927, the Cranford Historical Society’s mission is to preserve and perpetuate the history of Cranford.  For more information, please contact the Historical Society’s office at 908-276-0082 or cranfordhistoricalsociety@verizon.net  or visit our website at www.cranfordhistoricalsociety.com