Veterans' Memorial at Eastman Park

A tiny triangle of land that had once held several buildings, including a tavern, houses, and the Exchange Coffee House, was largely cleared by fire and left vacant by 1881. Owned by Frederic Yates, the parcel became the subject of a dispute when he offered to sell it for $2,500 or lease it to the city for five to ten years, and refused to lower his price. Edward Eastman, acting on behalf of Isaiah Milliken and more than thirty others, pursued a plan to turn the site into a city park through recently enacted state law, and the city's mayor, Board of Aldermen, and Common Council agreed to take the land by eminent domain for public use. After the matter went to the County Commission and a jury, the city acquired the lot on September 18th, 1881, for $1,250, with petitioners reimbursing $650. The City of Saco donated the site and the monument foundation, while most of the remaining $2,500 cost of erecting the monument was paid by an unnamed private citizen. John Haley, Fred C. Bradbury, and L.M. Binford selected the monument design, and on Memorial Day of 1907 a monument called "Victory Crowning the Returned Soldier" was erected in Eastman Park and dedicated to those who served from 1775 to 1865. Standing 20 feet 9 inches tall, it shows a robed woman and a young soldier atop a granite pedestal inscribed with an excerpt from President Lincoln's second inaugural address. Intended as the first of several monuments to Saco's servicemen and women, it was dedicated by Civil War veteran and Maine 17th Volunteer Regiment member John Haley, who honored both the men who fought in defense of the country and the women whose devotion never faltered. Other speakers included L.M. Binford, Mayor Dr. H.A. Weyouth, and Rev. Rugus H. Jones. Over the next century, additional monuments were added in the park, including one on November 6, 1922, honoring those who served in World War I, and another on November 11, 1961, honoring those who served in the Spanish War and the Philippine Insurrection from 1898 to 1902. By August 2011, the park had undergone restoration and improvements, including space for a memorial to those who served in the years since World War II.

Saco, Maine · United States