Unidentified remains of victims of the River Raisin Massacre of 1813 were buried here. In 1872 surviving veterans of that war gathered in Monroe from Ohio and Kentucky and headed a colorful civic pageant that halted solemnly at this spot while the old soldiers paid military honor to their fallen comrades. General George A. Custer, a member of the local welcoming committee, read the roll call of the veterans. In 1904-05 the ladies of the Monroe Civic Improvement Society induced city officials to establish the old burial ground as a park, and the State of Michigan appropriated funds for the monument that stands as a permanent tribute to Kentucky and her militiamen.