Cleveland County World War I Plaque, Shelby
This bronze plaque is mounted on the exterior side of the Cleveland County Courthouse in honor of World War I Veterans from Cleveland County. It features names of 31 citizens who lost their lives by serving their country during the Great War and a quote from Woodrow Wilson, with a bald eagle pictured on the top of the plaque with the years 1917 and 1919.
1917 1919 / HONORING THOSE FROM / CLEVELAND COUNTY WHO SERVED / IN THE WORLD WAR AND THE FOLLOWING / WHO MADE THE SUPREME SACRIFICE / HONOR ROLL / Harvey N. Allen • Wm. Barrett • E. O. Cabaniss • John Carver • Calvin Cook • Ira A. Crabtree • Broadus V. Doty • Robert P. Falls • Otis D. Green • Geo. W. Hastings • Frank Hayes • Butler Hord • Warren F. Hoyle • Roy Lattimore • C. A. McCraw • G. B. McEntire • B. C. McSwain • Reid Morris • Lawson J. Owens • William Parker (Col.) • Summey Powell • Ed. Price • S. J. Randall • J. H. Ratteree • R. O. Rhyne • Forrest A. Rippy • Joseph W. Runyans • Joseph L. Spangler • O. Pratt Street • Fred Weathers • Wm. B. Weathers / "IN A RIGHTEOUS CAUSE THEY WON IMMORTAL GLORY AND HAVE NOBLY SERVED / THEIR NATION IN SERVING MANKIND." WOODROW WILSON. 1918 / ERECTED BY CONTRIBUTIONS THROUGH THE STAR
Cleveland County, Earl Scruggs Center
Circa 1924
35.291400 , -81.540000
View in Geobrowse
"Cleveland County World War I Memorial 1917-1919," The Historical Marker Database, HMdb.com, (accessed May 28, 2015) Link
“About 125 Stills Are Destroyed and Sold,” The Cleveland Star (Shelby, NC), August 18, 1922
“Ex-Soldiers Want Monument Here,” The Cleveland Star (Shelby, NC), January 23, 1923
Yes
Bronze
The Star Newspaper, through local contributions
A news story from 1922 states that 25 illegal liquor stills that had been confiscated by revenue officers were given to the American Legion for use in casting a bronze memorial to World War One soldiers from the county who had lost their lives. It was not determined if the metal from those stills was actually used in the plaque. Cleveland County had about 700 men enlisted in World War I.
The plaque is mounted on the west entrance of the Old Cleveland County Courthouse that is located on the square in Uptown Shelby, bounded by Lafayette, Main , Washington and Warren streets in the Central Shelby Historic District. The old courthouse now houses the Earl Scruggs Center which is an interpretive center on the life of the legendary banjo master and the historical and cultural traditions of the region. The Worl War II memorial is on the West Warren Street side of the courthouse building and the Korean and Vietnam Wars marker on the W. Marion Street side. A few steps from the marker, right in front of the building stands the Cleveland County Confederate Monument.
The Old Cleveland County Courthouse is surrounded by green grass and trees on Lafeyette Street.
The Cleveland County Veteran Advisory Council hosts an annual Veterans Day Program at the historic court square in Shelby.
Know anything else about this monument that isn't mentioned here? If you have additional information on
this or any other monument in our collection fill out the form at the Contact Us link in the footer. Thank you.
