This memorial was dedicated Memorial Day 31 May 1926 to perpetuate the memory of scores of civil war veterans who lie buried in Greenwood Cemetery. The memorial is of the original designed many years by the local G.A.R. post. The cost of the $5,000 monument was funded by Civil War veterans, the Women's Relief Corps, the Service Star Legion (War Mothers), and other local citizens. Only 4 members were still alive to see the dedication.
It stands 26 feet high with a life-sized Union Soldier on top. The entire monument is of Vermont granite except for the red Ozark mountain granite tablets upon which the names of all the Michigan City soldiers who have fought in the Civil War are inscribed on three sides.
On the front it reads: “One Country One Flag” Below this is seen the G.A.R. badge displaying at the top the American eagle, cross cannons with cannon balls and the U.S. flag of the Civil War period. Below this it reads: “Sponsored by Women’s Relief Corps Geo. V. Rawson Post 46 Dept. Ind. GAR 1861-1865”
What is Granite?
Granite is a light-colored igneous rock with grains large enough to be visible with the unaided eye. It forms from the slow crystallization of magma below Earth’s surface. Granite is composed mainly of quartz and feldspar with minor amounts of mica, amphiboles and other minerals. This mineral composition usually gives granite a red, pink, gray or white color with dark mineral grains visible throughout the rock.
The Best-Known Igneous Rock
Granite is the best-known igneous rock. Many people recognize granite because it is the most common igneous rock found at Earth's surface and because granite is used to make many objects that we encounter in daily life. These include counter tops, floor tiles, paving stone, curbing, stair treads, building veneer and cemetery monuments. Granite is used all around us - especially if you live in a city.
Granite is a coarse-grained, light-colored igneous rock composed mainly of feldspars and quartz with minor amounts of mica and amphibole minerals. This simple definition enables students to easily identify the rock based upon a visual inspection.
Uses of Granite
Granite is the rock most often quarried as a "dimension stone" (a natural rock material that has been cut into blocks or slabs of specific length, width and thickness). Granite is hard enough to resist most abrasion, strong enough to bear significant weight, inert enough to resist weathering and it accepts a brilliant polish. These characteristics make it a very desirable and useful dimension stone.
Most of the granite dimension stone produced in the United States comes from high quality deposits in five states: Massachusetts, Georgia, New Hampshire, South Dakota and Idaho.
Granite has been used for thousands of years in both interior and exterior applications. Rough-cut and polished granite is used in buildings, bridges, paving, monuments and many other exterior projects. Indoors, polished granite slabs and tiles are used in countertops, tile floors, stair treads and many other practical and decorative features.
Vermont Barre Granite
The Barre Granite is a Devonian granite pluton near the town of Barre in Washington County, Vermont. It intrudes into the Waits River Formation.
The granite is mined at the E. L. Smith Quarry, owned by the Rock of Ages Corporation. "Barre Gray" granite is sought after worldwide for its fine grain, even texture, and superior weather resistance.
Ozark Red Granite
The granite of this locality has a very uniform texture and color. The essential constituents are orthoclase, quartz and biotite. The individuals of feldspar and quartz are intricately interlocked and seldom have crystal faces. The grains are of medium size. Occasional large feldspar crystals, sometimes two inches long, occur imbedded in the granitic ground-mass, giving the granite a porphyritic texture. Occasionally, the feldspar, quartz and biotite individuals are segregated, separately, in large masses, rendering the stone unfit for structural work. The color of the granite, which is a deep red, is quite uniform throughout the different quarries. It is due to the pink feldspar and red iron oxide constituents. Most of the quartz is translucent. The biotite and hornblende have very little effect upon the color of the stone.
The preponderance of the two relatively hard minerals, feldspar and quartz, render the granite susceptible to a very high polish.
Logging Requirements
1. Do the two types of granite look similar in appearance? Explain.
2. Do the carvings on each type seem to erode at the same rate? Explain.
3. Why would they use two different types of granite on the same monument?
4. Post a picture of yourself (face not required) or a personal item at the granite monument.