Confederate Memorial of the Wind facts for kids
Confederate Memorial of the Wind in 2015
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| Coordinates | 30°07′13.54″N 93°47′09.88″W / 30.1204278°N 93.7860778°W |
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| Location | Orange, Texas |
| Beginning date | 2013 |
| Dedicated to | Confederate States of America, Texas regiments of the Confederate Army |
The Confederate Memorial of the Wind is a monument being built in Orange, Texas. It honors the Confederate States of America and the soldiers from Texas who fought for them during the American Civil War. Construction started in 2013 on private land.
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What is the Confederate Memorial of the Wind?
This memorial is a large project that is still being built. It is meant to remember the Confederate States and their soldiers from Texas. The Confederate States were a group of southern states that separated from the United States between 1860 and 1861. They fought against the U.S. during the Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865.
Where is the Memorial Located?
The memorial is located in Orange, Texas. This city is close to the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area. The monument is on private land right next to Interstate 10. It is also on a road called Martin Luther King Jr Drive.
What Does the Memorial Look Like?
The design of the memorial includes 13 tall columns. These columns are arranged in a large circle. Each column represents one of the 13 states that were part of the Confederacy.
The plan is to display 32 flags at the memorial. These flags will represent different groups of soldiers from Texas who fought in the Civil War. There will also be eight large Confederate flags. These flags will be big enough to be seen easily from the nearby highway.
The project is supported by the Texas Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. This group works to honor the memory of Confederate soldiers.
Why Was the Memorial Built?
People who support the memorial, like Granvel Block, say it has two main goals. First, they want to honor the soldiers who fought in the Civil War. Second, they believe the memorial will help visitors learn about history. They also say that the land was chosen because it was not expensive to build there.
Why Do Some People Oppose the Memorial?
Not everyone agrees with building this memorial. Many people have spoken out against it. They say the memorial is connected to a time when some people fought to keep slavery. Slavery was a system where people were owned by others and forced to work without pay. This is a very sensitive part of American history.
Opponents also say that the location of the memorial is upsetting. It is built on Martin Luther King Jr Drive. Martin Luther King Jr. was a very important leader in the Civil Rights Movement. He fought for equal rights for all people, especially African Americans. Some people find it offensive to have a Confederate memorial on a street named after him.
The local newspaper, the Beaumont Enterprise, reported that many people in the area and the city council did not want the monument built. However, the city could not stop the construction. This was because people have the right to express their views, which is called free speech.
Funding and Visitors
The completion of the memorial depends on getting enough money. People can donate money to the project. In return, they can get special memorial plaques or paving bricks with their names on them. There is no set date for when the memorial will be finished. The first budget for the project was $50,000.
Even though it is not finished, the site has already had many visitors. By 2015, so many people were visiting that it caused traffic and parking problems in the neighborhood.
The unfinished memorial has also been the site of protests. People have gathered there to ask for changes to the plans for the monument.
