Denton Confederate Soldier Monument

The Denton Confederate Soldier Monument was an outdoor Confederate memorial installed in downtown Denton, Texas, in the United States.[1]

Denton Confederate Soldier Monument
The monument c. 2000
Completion date1918
LocationDenton, Texas, United States
Coordinates33.2146°N 97.1331°W / 33.2146; -97.1331

Description

The statue depicts an armed Confederate soldier standing on an arch with the inscription, "Our Confederate Soldiers".

History

The monument was funded and erected in 1918 by the Katie Daffan Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy.[2]

The monument was not named a Texas Historic Landmark in 1970, a National Historic Registry landmark in 1977, and a Texas State Archeological Landmark in 1981.[3][4] In fact, the courthouse was.

Vandalism and removal

One local resident, Willie Hudspeth, has been working to remove the memorial since 2000.[5]

The monument was vandalized with the words "This Is Racist" in 2015.[6] On February 1, 2018, Denton County leaders voted 15–0 to keep the statue but add a plaque denouncing slavery and a video kiosk explaining the city's racial history and progress (which was never added or completed). On June 9, 2020, the Denton County Commissioners Court announced a plan to remove the statue from the Courthouse lawn to another location for conservation.[7]

On June 9, 2020, following the protests following the Killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Denton County commissioners voted to remove the memorial.[8][9]

On the morning of June 25, 2020, removal of the statue began just before dawn.[10]

See also

References
  1. "Confederate Memorial - Denton Texas - American Civil War Monuments and Memorials on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com.
  2. Little, Carol Morris, A Comprehensive Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in Texas, University of Texas Press, Austin, 1996 p. 196-197
  3. "Denton Confederate Soldier Monument Draws Debate".
  4. McPhate, Christian (16 August 2017). "Turning 100, a Confederate Soldier Monument in Denton Faces an Uncertain Future".
  5. Andrea Lucia. "Denton Man Fights For 17 Years To Have Confederate Monument Removed".
  6. "Video shows pair vandalizing Confederate monument in Denton". 20 July 2015.
  7. Capuchino, Emilia (June 9, 2020). "County Judge: commissioners intend to remove and relocate Confederate monument". Denton Record Chronicle. Retrieved June 9, 2020.
  8. "Denton, Tarrant counties vote to remove Confederate monuments". Dallas News. 2020-06-09. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  9. rhiggs@dentonrc.com, Ryan Higgs Staff Writer. "Commissioners approve removal and relocation of Confederate soldier memorial". Denton Record-Chronicle. Retrieved 2020-06-10.
  10. "Confederate monument being removed from Square". Denton Record Chronicle. 2020-06-25. Retrieved 2020-06-25.
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