Grand Army of the Republic Arch: Grand Icon of a New Era
Historic landmarks are often at the mercy of what is considered “progress” or the trend of the day, and once they’re torn down they are gone forever. In 1900, Superior, Wisconsin put a decorative arch, four gracefully curved steel shafts with an ornate centerpiece, across the center of its main street to welcome members of the Grand Army of the Republic to the city. It stood at that corner for 20 years, becoming a part of city parades and celebrations and even, during World War I, supporting a thermometer that tallied up how much money was being raised for the war effort. By 1920, the arch was showing its age and the mayor decided to tear it down since, in his words, it "served no good purpose" and was “out of date as a decoration”. Now, almost 100 years later, Superior’s current mayor has vowed to rebuild the arch and make it the focal point of his downtown revitalization plan. Photographs and drawings have kept the memory of the arch alive and the citizens of Superior look forward to welcoming it back to old downtown. How often do you get to replace a historic landmark?
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