Confederate Memorial of the Wind
Confederate Memorial of the Wind in 2015
30°07′13.54″N 93°47′09.88″W / 30.1204278°N 93.7860778°W / 30.1204278; -93.7860778
LocationOrange, Texas
Beginning date2013
Dedicated toConfederate States of America,
Texas regiments of the Confederate Army

The Confederate Memorial of the Wind is a nearly completed memorial to the Confederate States of America and the Texas regiments of the Confederate Army. It began construction on private land in 2013 in Orange, Texas, near the Beaumont–Port Arthur metropolitan area.

The memorial is on private land adjacent to Interstate 10 on Martin Luther King Jr Drive. It has 13 columns arranged in a circle, one for each Confederate state. It will display 32 flags representing U.S. Civil War units from Texas, along with eight large Confederate flags visible from the highway.[1] The project is sponsored by the Texas Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.[2]

Proponents, led by Granvel Block,[3] say the project will honor Civil War veterans and educate visitors on history, and say that the location was chosen for low cost.[4] Opponents have condemned the memorial because of its connection to an effort to maintain slavery, and because they say its location is provocative, on Martin Luther King Jr Drive.[5] The Beaumont Enterprise reported that the monument faced wide opposition from local residents and city council, which had no legal tools to stop construction.[6] The city approved the plan on free speech grounds.[7]

Donations are solicited in exchange for memorial plaques and paving bricks.[8] No date is set for its completion, which depends on funding. The original budget was $50,000.[9] By 2015, the site had already received enough visitors to cause parking congestion in the neighborhood.[10]

The incomplete project has been the subject of protests seeking to change its plans.[11]

References

  1. ↑ Potts, Randy R. (June 24, 2015). "The Texans Building a Confederate Monument Right Now". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  2. ↑ Baddour, Dylan (April 9, 2015). "150 Years After Fall, Confederate Memories Linger in Texas". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  3. ↑ Savage, John (August 10, 2016). "Where the Confederacy Is Rising Again". Politico. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  4. ↑ Lomax, John Nova (April 7, 2015). "Coming Soon: A Large Confederate Memorial on I-10, Just Inside the Texas State Line". Texas Monthly. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  5. ↑ Capps, Kriston (June 19, 2015). "Texas Just Built a Confederate Memorial on MLK Drive". CityLab. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  6. ↑ Jesse J. Holland, "Deadly rally accelerates removal of Confederate statues, including S.A.'s memorial," MySanAntonio,http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/Deadly-rally-accelerates-removal-of-Confederate-11819879.php
  7. ↑ Tolson, Mike (June 22, 2015). "Once a Confederate State, Texas' Relationship with the Past Is Complex". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  8. ↑ "'Confederate Memorial of the Wind' Almost Ready in East Texas". Texas Public Radio. Associated Press. April 5, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  9. ↑ Libardi, Manuella (April 6, 2015). "Orange Confederate Monument Will Include 32 Rebel Flags". Beaumont Enterprise. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  10. ↑ Burleigh, Dawn (July 20, 2015). "Parking Restricted near Confederate Park". Orange Leader. Retrieved August 12, 2016.
  11. ↑ (11 November 2018). Man caught on video berating, cursing couple protesting Confederate monument in Orange Saturday, 12 News Now
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