Historic Fredericksburg: The Story of an Old TownGoolrick, John T. (John Tackett)
History
Historic Fredericksburg: The Story of an Old Town
Goolrick, John T. (John Tackett)
Fredericksburg (Va.) -- History
husband as Mayor, who in that capacity was able to weild an influence that
helped materially towards its success.
[Sidenote: _Mary Washington Monument_]
The Mary Washington Monument has a history too long to be embraced in this
volume and only a brief sketch of it will be appropriate. "The Building of
a Monument" was written by Miss Susan Riviere Hetzel, and published in
1903. She was at the time Secretary of the National Mary Washington
Memorial Association, following her mother Mrs. Margaret Hetzel, its first
Secretary.
The idea of erecting a new monument to Mary Washington seemed to spring up
simultaneously in Fredericksburg and in Boston, and spread like wild-fire
over the country. Miss Hetzel claims priority for her mother, while the
actual first published movement took place in Fredericksburg. Two letters
were written and published on the same date in the Washington Post. Both
letters were written in the spring just at the time of the Johnstown
flood, and held in the newspaper office, probably overlooked, until
October. On October 13th the movement crystalized into a large meeting in
Fredericksburg. The writers of the two letters became acquainted through a
mutual interest. Mrs. Goolrick's letter proposed a National Organization
with a President and one Vice-President for each State. Mrs. Hetzel's
letter suggested that "every woman as far as able give one dollar to the
proposed monument with the Washington Post as Treasurer for the fund, and
to acknowledge daily the donations received." On the appearance of the
letters in the Washington Post Mrs. Hetzel wrote to Mrs. Goolrick,
congratulating her on the plan she proposed, stating that such a plan was
then practically in operation, and had been worked up during the summer,
Mrs. Waite, wife of Chief Justice Waite, was made president, but they
wished no publication or mention made of it until they obtained their
Charter. On November 8th, 1889, the Fredericksburg Association received
its Charter. The National Association was chartered February 22nd, 1890.
On the 10th of May, 1894, the Mary Washington Monument was dedicated, with
great form and ceremony and with the largest crowd ever gathered in
Fredericksburg. Visitors flocked from all over the country. The streets
were in gala attire. American, and Virginia State flags fluttered
everywhere with the buff, blue and gold insignia of the Ball family, which
floated before the homes of Mary Ball's decendants. A special train from
Washington arrived at ten o'clock bringing the President of the United
States, Grover Cleveland, the Chief Justice, members of the Cabinet and
other invited guests with the ladies of the National Mary Washington
Memorial Association, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the
Marine Band. Military Companies from Richmond, Alexandria and other cities
were present, and with the various orders of the city made an imposing
spectacle. The Grand Lodge of Masons from this and other places closed the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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