Tipperary Hill Heritage Memorial facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Tipperary Hill Heritage Memorial |
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| City of Syracuse | |
The Tipperary Hill Heritage Memorial
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| For early citizens who won the battle of the "Green over Red" traffic light | |
| Unveiled | 1997 |
| Location | Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 614: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). in Syracuse, New York |
The Tipperary Hill Heritage Memorial is a special monument in Syracuse, New York. It was built in 1997 on Tipperary Hill. This memorial honors early citizens who bravely stood up for what they believed in. They fought to change a traffic light from red-over-green to green-over-red.
The memorial shows a bronze family from the 1930s. They are an Irish immigrant family. A sculptor named Dexter Benedict made the figures. The father is pointing to the unique traffic light. His wife, daughter, and son are looking with him. The son has a slingshot in his pocket. This hints at the light's interesting history.
The memorial is in Tipperary Hill Memorial Park. This park is a new green space in Syracuse. It used to be where an old building stood.
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The Tipperary Hill Traffic Light Story
In 1925, the city of Syracuse put up its first traffic lights. One was placed at a busy spot on Tipperary Hill. This was at the corner of Tompkins Street and Milton Avenue.
Why the Traffic Light Was Different
The people living on Tipperary Hill were mostly Irish immigrants. They felt very proud of their heritage. When the new traffic light was installed, it had the red light on top and the green light on the bottom. This was the standard way.
However, for the Irish community, this order had a different meaning. Red was often linked to England, and green to Ireland. Having red above green felt like England was "over" Ireland. This upset many people in the neighborhood.
The "Stone Throwers" Protest
A group of young people from the neighborhood decided to act. They were known as the "Stone Throwers." They were between 11 and 17 years old. Some of them included John "Jacko" Behan, Richard "Richie" Britt, and James M. "Duke" Coffey.
These youths gathered stones, which they jokingly called "Irish confetti." They would aim for the red light lens. They managed to break the red light many times. This was their way of protesting the light's color order.
A Unique Traffic Light Is Born
After many protests, leaders from the neighborhood stepped in. They included John J. "Huckle" Ryan, a local alderman, and several business owners. They talked to the city officials.
Because of their efforts, the city agreed to change the traffic light. They installed a special light with the green signal on top and the red signal on the bottom. This was a very unusual setup. It is still the only traffic light of its kind in the United States.
Creating the Memorial Park
In 1997, local residents and business owners wanted to honor this unique history. They worked together to create the Tipperary Hill Heritage Memorial. Peter Coleman, a local pub owner, was a big part of this effort.
They raised money to build a small park. An old building was taken down to make space for it. People could buy special bricks engraved with names. These bricks were placed around the statue's base. This helped fund the project. Jerry Wilson, a jewelry store owner, also helped raise money for the park and statue.
The memorial stands as a reminder of the community's spirit. It shows how people worked together to keep their heritage alive.
