Tuesday proved to be a great day for the Lawrence County Museum.

Thursday, May 10, 2001

Tuesday proved to be a great day for the Lawrence County Museum.

Thanks to the efforts of the Veterans Memorial Committee, the museum is now the repository for several historical items rescued from Memorial Hall, Ironton’s former city hall that is falling further into disrepair as we write.

While rummaging around in Memorial Hall recently, members of the committee under the leadership of chairman Frank McCown found a banner used to honor World War I veterans, an old military bugle and 13 sashes. All the items were restored before they were presented to the museum.

What the sashes were used for is still a mystery. They are maroon, and they have designs embroidered on them. If you know what they might have been used for, please contact the museum. The sashes are interesting in their own right, but knowing what they were used for would only make them more interesting.

Recovering the artifacts is just a sidelight to the committee’s main responsibility, which is restoring four historic Civil War rifle cannons and building a permanent veterans memorial in Woodland Cemetery.

Those projects are moving forward, too. Groundbreaking for the memorial will be at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, June 14. Put that date on your calendar. You’ll want to be there.