Noblesville Lions learn about Hamilton County Civil War history

By LISA DICK
Noblesville Lions Club

At their April 22 meeting, the Noblesville Lions Club welcomed Kevin Yaney to share his passion for history. Hamilton County has a rich Civil War history, which included 277 veterans who were killed during the war. The Hamilton Continentals were a Hamilton County militia that formed just as the Civil War broke out. Those 77 men became one of the first regiments formed to fight for the Union Army.

Yaney explained that the Civil War monument in Crownland Cemetery was the source of the name for Monument Street that runs along the south side of the cemetery. He is currently leading a restoration project to clean the monument as well as add names of the soldiers and sailors who were previously left off.

The Unknown Soldiers Monument was dedicated in 1901. There is not a soldier buried under the monument, but it represents the Hoosier soldiers who were among the 620,000 men who died in the war. Some were buried on the battlefields, while others were buried at prisoner of war camps where they died. There is a cannon in the cemetery that has been authenticated as being built in 1862.

The memorial on the courthouse square in downtown Noblesville was originally erected in 1946 by the Noblesville Lions Club to honor all Hamilton County veterans killed in action. This Memorial Day, Monday, May 25 at 11 a.m., Yaney will speak about the history of Memorial Day at the memorial. He will be joined by Danny Russell, an Abraham Lincoln interpreter who will give the Gettysburg Address in celebration of America’s 250th birthday.