Fort Payne celebrates Confederate Monument

photo Larry Chesser

IF YOU GOWhat: Ceremony marking the 100th anniversary of the Confederate MonumentWhen: Saturday, Aug. 3, at noonWhere: The corner of Gault Avenue and Fifth Street in downtown Fort Payne, Ala.

Sons and Daughters of the Confederacy will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Confederate Monument in Fort Payne, Ala.’s City Park on Saturday.

The ceremony will take place a day after the 100th anniversary of the monument and will be held by DeKalb County Chapter No. 1456, Daughters of the Confederacy, and DeKalb Rifles No. 1824, Sons of Confederate Veterans.

“There will be a gathering at the outdoor pavilion at noon adjacent to the city park where there will be live music and food,” Fort Payne Mayor Larry Chesser said. “The ceremony will then continue at the monument in the city park.”

The monument has been renovated and has new landscaping surrounding it. The ceremony there will include a 21-musket salute and a cannon fire.

“I’ve been to one or two of their [Sons and Daughters of the Confederacy] events and they dress exactly like the Confederate soldiers did during the Civil War,” Chesser said. “I think that they will have a pretty decent crowd.”

The city park originally was named Union Park, but the name was changed to City Park after the monument was built in 1913.

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