WWI Centennial Anniversary Ceremony

On April 6th, 2017 a WWI Centennial Anniversary Ceremony occurred on the south lawn of the Washington County Courthouse, at the Veterans’ Memorial. Both the ceremony and the attendance went better than we anticipated with the inclement weather conditions. Everyone was pleased with the opportunity to commemorate this significant date in history and memorialize our county veterans.

Washington County WWI Centennial Ceremony

11:30am - Welcome to ceremony…DAR Vice Regent Sharon Purlee…Pledge of Allegiance w/Gertrude Stephenson
11:35am - Jason Cockerill on behalf of Congressman Todd Hollingsworth
11:40am - Jeremy Elliott, Washington Co. Historian, tribute to county WWI veterans
11:45am - Colonel Todd Baker, Indiana National Guard (Ret.) Centennial Anniversary of WWI
11:50am - Kevin Bateman, Veterans’ Administration, WWI County Casualty Roll
11:55am - VFW/Legion; Gun Salute, followed by TAPS

Local DAR Chapter to place wreath at WWI column.

A special thank you to United States Representative Todd Hollingsworth for the donation of the flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol Building, in memory of all Hoosiers who served from April 1917 to November 1918. This flag will be on display very soon at the Stevens Museum @ the John Hay Center.

A very special thanks goes out to all of our local participating organizations, speakers, the Washington County Commissioners and to WSLM radio for the assistance with the sound system and media coverage!

Look for a more detailed description of the event in the next edition of The Historian

Who was John Hay?

Statesman, Author, Ambassador

John Hay was a great American statesman, diplomat, author and poet, whose political career spanned over 50 years. He was born in a small brick home in Salem, Indiana, on October 8, 1838.

After John displayed considerable potential in his schooling, his Uncle Milton Hay, who was a practicing lawyer in Springfield, Illinois, took a special interest and sent him to Brown University, where he graduated in 1858.

In 1860, when John Hay’s childhood friend, John Nicolay, was appointed Abraham Lincoln’s presidential campaign secretary, he was brought on board to assist with the enormous amount of correspondence.

Hay grew to adore President Lincoln for his goodness, patience, understanding, sense of humor, humility, magnanimity, healthy skepticism, sense of justice, resilience and power, love of the common man and mystical patriotism. Many later noted that Lincoln too, loved Hay as a son and was very attached to him.

In 1903, after years of negotiating treaties, Hay successfully passed legislation that afforded the United States the opportunity to start construction on the Panama Canal.

Brown University’s John Hay Library was named in his honor, as was the John Hay Air Base, in the Philippines and both his birth home, in Salem, Indiana and his summer estate, The Fells, in New Hampshire, have been historically conserved.

John Hay Center Hours of Operation

Thursdays - 10:00am – 5:00pm
Fridays - 10:00am – 5:00pm
Saturdays - 10:00am – 5:00pm

Tour Pricing

Self-Guided Tours

Adult (Age 18+) - Donation
Child (Age 6-17) - Donation

Guided Tours

Complete Comprehensive Tour
(Museum,Pioneer Village, The Depot)
Adult (Age 18+) - Tour Price $20.00
Child (Ages 6-17) - Tour Price $10.00
Guided Tours - Free to Members

Steven's Museum Guided Tour
(Approximate 2 hour Tour)
Adult (Age 18+) - Tour Price $7.00
Child (Ages 6-17) - Tour Price $4.00
Guided Tours - Free to Members

Pioneer Village
(Approximate 1 hour Tour)
Adult (Age 18+) - Tour Price $7.00
Child (Ages 6-17) - $4.00
Guided Tours - Free to Members

The Depot Railroad Museum
(Approximate 1 hour Tour)
Adult (Age 18+) - $7.00
Child (Ages 6-17) - $4.00
Guided Tours - Free to Members

School Tours

Private & Public School Tours: $3.00 per student/parent (Teachers free & 10 student minimum)

Private Tours

Scheduled Private Tours (More than 5 Guests) (Minimum $50)

Additional Information

*All regular tours are free for Life Members
*Children under 5 are free

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