The Soldier’s Monument by John D. Howland and J. Otto Schweizer was dedicated in 1909 in Denver, Colorado. The monument includes a bronze statue of a Union soldier on top of a stone base. In the base are facts and dates about Colorado territory and statehood and details related to the role played by Colorado soldiers during the Civil War. Names and dates of Colorado soldiers who died in the Civil War are engraved on plaques.
In 1999, Colorado lawmakers added a plaque that detailed the role of Colorado soldiers in the Sand Creek Massacre of hundreds of Native Americans. On June 25, 2020, during a series of national protests against police brutality and racism in policing, the Soldier’s Monument was vandalized and its statue was toppled by protesters. In November 2020, state lawmakers decided to replace the monument with one honoring the Native American victims of the Sand Creek massacre.
The photos and description of the Soldier’s Monument in Denver, CO are part of materials from Civic Center Historic District registration form for the National Register of Historic Places.
