In the center of the county seat, the Elkton Doughboy Monument honors the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.
After some discussion about creating a memorial, the project moved rapidly forward, and residents contributed $10,000 toward the proposal. Joseph H Sloan, an Elkton firm, contracted with the Rutland Marble Company of Rutland, Vermont, to produce the approved design.
On November 11, 1921, the mothers of soldiers who died in the war unveiled the White Vermont Marble monument at the courthouse yard in Elkton. The stonecutter had permanently chiseled 17 names into the fine piece of durable marble, names of young soldiers who did not return home (Cecil Democrat).
The inscription reads: “This monument is erected by the people of Cecil County in grateful recognition of the services of the men and women of this county who, on land or at sea served their country in the World War – 1914 – 1918 – and in special remembrance of the men of this county who in that war, “Laid down their lives that others might live.”
On each side of the statue of an American soldier at parade rest are paneled slabs inscribed with the names of the men who made the ultimate sacrifice.
The Elkton Doughboy Monument was moved from its original placement, the northeast corner of North and Main streets, to its present location at the armory in 1941, when the original courthouse was torn down and the property was turned over to the Town of Elkton.
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For additional photos of the Doughboy Memorial, see Seventeen Names Chiseled in Stone on the Cecil County History Facebook Page.
NOTES & SOURCES
* Cecil Whig
* Midland Journal
* Cecil Democrat.
The Library of Congress has made the first two newspapers available online at www.chroniclingamerica.loc.gov, which provides free, open access. There, you can do text searches and see the original pages.