The Soldiers, Sailors, and Pioneers Monument was planned and promoted by Butler County Civil War veterans and financed by a county levy in 1899. Built of Indiana Limestone near the center of the site of Fort Hamilton, which was built in 1791 and named in honor of Alexander Hamilton, Secretary of the Treasury in President George Washington's cabinet, it includes two large, colorful windows recognizing the contributions of Butler County women during the Civil War. At its July 4, 1906, dedication, the featured speaker was Governor Andrew L. Harris, a Butler County native and Civil War veteran, whose name is one of more than 4,300 carved into the interior marble walls. The statue atop the monument, officially entitled "Victory, the Jewel of the Soul" but better known as "Billy Yank," takes its popular name from the common Union soldier of the Civil War. The 17-foot, 3,500-pound bronze figure was created by local artist Rudolph Thiem after his design was selected in a national competition. Its informal pose represents a soldier's reaction to victory and peace at the end of the Civil War: his right foot rests on an unexploded shell, his right hand clasps his musket, his cap is uplifted in his left hand, and his open mouth shouts "Hurrah!" as the fighting ends. The statue was placed on the monument in December 1904.