Veterans Park of Cambria County

The "Armed Sentinel" in front of the obelisk

In 1872 David E. Park, a Pittsburgh businessman and financier, made his first philanthropic gesture to Ebensburg. This was in the form of a town park which initially went by the same name, "Town Park." This was Ebensburg's first formal planned space. Later, Park allocated funds for the park and its monument in the 1910s in response to the community's desire for a Civil War memorial.[4] In 1912, a panel of fourteen distinguished Civil War veterans from across Cambria County met in 1912 to make plans for the memorial's design. After meeting with the project's financial backer, David E. Park, the panel chose the obelisk design and placement of 3,500 names of Civil War veterans on bronze tablets at the monument's base.

County veterans organizations, including the Grand Army of the Republic, suggested an additional 2,000 names be included, representing veterans from all previous wars.

Let us have all the names from the American Revolution through the Civil War, or no names at all.

— Cambria Freeman, Aug. 9 (1912)

The memorial would then lists names of veterans of the American Revolution, War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War and Spanish-American War. Another news article of the day stated: “We want the children of our schools, as they pass by the monument, to know that this county gave her best men, volunteers at that, to defend our country.” The county commissioners appropriated $7,000 in 1913 to erect the 63 foot tall grey granite monument. David E. Park moved the project forward with the donation of $5,000. Construction work was awarded to Jones Brothers of Barre, VT. The granite was donated by Jones Brothers, whose father, Seward Jones, was a Civil was a Civil War veteran born in Ebensburg.[1]

The original name of the 1913 park is: Soldiers & Sailors Park of Cambria County. It has been the site of numerous veteran's parades, dedications and memorial observances. It is also the site of a community time capsule buried in 1975 during the time of the United States Bicentennial. On September 3, 1915, there was a large dedication for the park. The municipality declared a local holiday. The day began with a parade, and was followed by dedication speeches by veterans and patriotic songs.[4]

On June 14, 2011 Flag Day and the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the name of the park was officially changed to Veterans Park of Cambria County. The restored site features a semi-circle of six flags, with the United States flag flanked by flags representing the five branches of the military, honoring all who have served in any military capacity- wartime or peacetime, overseas or stateside.[1]