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It seems as if the original list of names from the 1943 World War II memorial have vanished. In 1947, the monument that once stood at North Main Street and Park Avenue in Herkimer and listed the names of individuals who served in the war was dismantled by village employees.
At the present time no one seems to know where the names have disappeared to.
According to Herkimer resident and history activist William Arthur, “The village office does not have any record of the names nor what happened to the pieces.” As for the Herkimer County Historical Society, executive director Sue Hopkins said, “I have no clue what happened to the pieces.”
The monument, said Arthur, included glass plates which held handwritten calligraphy scrolls that listed 1,300 World War II vets.
Arthur has searched some time for answers, but has found nothing.
He said the Herkimer County draft board merged with the Oneida County draft board in the 1940s, and some of the original records were combined with Oneida County, but nothing has been found. He also said there was a list of names in a military records storage depository in St. Louis, but due to a fire many records were destroyed. He said another set of records were sent to Cortland, home to the main archives of the New York State Grange which are now held at Cornell, but no records of the war memorial have been found. Arthur also said the local Herkimer veterans post supposedly had some remains of the memorial, but due to a clean sweep any related records have been thrown away.
According to Arthur, “the Herkimer County Historical Society has records of names for residents in the Civil War, World War I, the Korean War, but none for World War II.”
Arthur, as well as his late wife Evelyn Dexter Arthur, have done an extensive amount of history research. Arthur’s wife worked at Frank J. Basloe Library in Herkimer as a genealogy family historian. She helped adoptees find their original parents through family research.
Arthur has volunteered to keep records for Oak Hill Cemetery.
“My ancestors settled in Herkimer in 1723, as a relative of one of the original families that settled in Herkimer, history is a very important part my life,” said Arthur.
A fifty dollar reward is being offered to the first person to provide a copy of the 1,300 names.
Persons are asked to call 737-7714.
If the names are recovered they will be donated to the Herkimer County Historical Society.
It seems as if the original list of names from the 1943 World War II memorial have vanished. In 1947, the monument that once stood at North Main Street and Park Avenue in Herkimer and listed the names of individuals who served in the war was dismantled by village employees.
At the present time no one seems to know where the names have disappeared to.
According to Herkimer resident and history activist William Arthur, “The village office does not have any record of the names nor what happened to the pieces.” As for the Herkimer County Historical Society, executive director Sue Hopkins said, “I have no clue what happened to the pieces.”
The monument, said Arthur, included glass plates which held handwritten calligraphy scrolls that listed 1,300 World War II vets.
Arthur has searched some time for answers, but has found nothing.
He said the Herkimer County draft board merged with the Oneida County draft board in the 1940s, and some of the original records were combined with Oneida County, but nothing has been found. He also said there was a list of names in a military records storage depository in St. Louis, but due to a fire many records were destroyed. He said another set of records were sent to Cortland, home to the main archives of the New York State Grange which are now held at Cornell, but no records of the war memorial have been found. Arthur also said the local Herkimer veterans post supposedly had some remains of the memorial, but due to a clean sweep any related records have been thrown away.
According to Arthur, “the Herkimer County Historical Society has records of names for residents in the Civil War, World War I, the Korean War, but none for World War II.”
Arthur, as well as his late wife Evelyn Dexter Arthur, have done an extensive amount of history research. Arthur’s wife worked at Frank J. Basloe Library in Herkimer as a genealogy family historian. She helped adoptees find their original parents through family research.
Arthur has volunteered to keep records for Oak Hill Cemetery.
“My ancestors settled in Herkimer in 1723, as a relative of one of the original families that settled in Herkimer, history is a very important part my life,” said Arthur.
A fifty dollar reward is being offered to the first person to provide a copy of the 1,300 names.
Persons are asked to call 737-7714.
If the names are recovered they will be donated to the Herkimer County Historical Society.
