Honoring Union Soliders With a Highway – Part 1

Vermilion's Grand Army of the Republic sign on U. S. 6
at the Western gateway to the city

Anyone driving through Vermilion, Lorain, Sheffield Lake and Avon Lake on U. S. Route 6 inevitably encounters a Grand Army of the Republic Sign, designating that highway as honoring the nation’s Union Soldiers who fought in the Civil War. The distinctively-shaped signs with the image of a G.A.R. badge in the middle are usually posted near the city limits of the above mentioned lakefront cities.

I wonder how many motorists know what the signs represent?

I’ve written about these signs before. For years, only Sheffield Lake had one in our area (which I wrote about here), and it was an old, old one at that. Gradually, reproductions were produced and a few more appeared. Finally, thanks to the efforts of Brother Peter Hritsko of the James A. Garfield Camp No. 142 of the Sons of Union Veterans (of which I am a member), signs began being posted in neighboring cities along the lake on Route 6. As Pete has found out, it’s a slow, ongoing process and, strangely enough, not every city wants to participate and sponsor a sign.

Lorain received its signs back in 2015. Avon Lake and Sheffield Lake had their sign rededication ceremonies in 2016.

With racial injustice and its roots in slavery being discussed in the media every day, it’s a good time to remember who these G. A. R. Highway signs honor: the more than 645,000 Union soldiers who either lost their lives or were wounded during the Civil War.

But honoring these veterans by getting the entire cross-country route of U. S. 6 designated as the Grand Army of the Republic Highway wasn’t an easy task.

Part 2: The process plays out in the newspapers