Onalaska reveals Civil War veterans dedication plaque

ONALASKA, Wis. (WEAU) - A new plaque has been installed at the city of Onalaska cemetery, honoring 58 American Civil War veterans buried there.

Onalaska public works director, Jarrod Holter, says the new marker is the first of its kind in the city.

“We have done plaques for different park dedications, donations, things like that. But this is the first actual veteran’s plaque that we have dedicated,” says Holter.

The idea for the plaque was sparked by a member of the Onalaska historical society.

“Barb Roush did a research paper on the Onalaska cemetery about the Civil War veterans buried here and there’s 58 of them. So they contacted our post and we went with it and we paid for a plaque to be placed in our cemetery. We contacted the city of Onalaska, who have been just great about having a place to put the plaque and recognize the 58 veterans that are buried here,” says Onalaska American Legion Post 336 Third Vice President, Robert Muth.

Muth says the plaque isn’t the only work that American Legion Post 336 has done at the cemetery.

“In conjunction with the plaque, we cleaned all 58 tombstones. We got material that was the same material that’s used at Arlington Cemetery in Washington for their tombstones. And all 58 tombstones have been cleaned. We’ve also started cleaning all World War One veterans tombstones,” says Muth.

With a plaque honoring civil war veterans now in place, Muth says it’s a possibility that the legion may also work on a dedication to World War One veterans.

Muth says that the dedication cost about $3,000. Muth also says the 336 post also has over 500 members and is open to the public.

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