Each Memorial Day for the last 15 years it has been my job to decorate the different monuments in town early in the morning.

This year, I couldn't help but think of the many changes that have taken place at the Civil War Monument.

The monument was first erected by the town in 1871 as a memorial to those who died in the Civil War. At first, it had an iron fence all around it and inside the enclosure was a stack of cannon balls in each corner and in front stood an old Civil War cannon. The top ball on each stack had a hole in it where a flag was inserted.

At the top of the main base (not on the tall spire) and around the four sides were electric sockets where the monument could be illuminated. These must have been installed much later because at the time it was erected the town had no electricity.

Later, because there is a federal law which prohibits the attachment of lights to a memorial, they were removed. Few people seem to remember these lights.

The fence was also removed, leaving only the cannon and cannon balls.

One of the pranks on July 4th or the night before was rolling the balls down Town Hill, which was a very dangerous trick. But as far as I know, no one was ever hurt.

Another foolish trick was to place a skyrocket in the barrel of the cannon and light it. I believe a woman was hit in the eye and lost the eye from this.

Directly behind the monument was the town flagpole, exactly where the present one is today.

Finally, World War II came and with it the scrap drive. And to me the most foolish and stupid thing the town did was to give the old cannon and balls to the scrap drive. Of all the scrap available, they had to take these items.

Today, all that is left is the monument with its  brass plates. Sometime when you are going by try to guess how many names are on the monument. Then  count them and you will be surprised how wrong you were.

—HAROLD D. BOWEN