Dear Tools I See At County Fairs Across Ohio Displaying Confederate Flags:

Ohio tools

This "symbol" has nothing to do with your "heritage." We are Yankees--Ohio Yankees, which are some of your Yankier Yankees. Hence, when you display this item, you're supporting ... what? Secession? Slavery?

More than 35,000 Ohioans died fighting against those ideologies and the Confederate Flag that represented them (incidentally, we won).

You might as well wave a German or Japanese flag before a WWII Vet.

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Soldiers and Sailors

The Cuyahoga County Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument is located on Public Square in downtown Cleveland. It's 113 years old and commemorates the men of Cuyahoga County who served in the Civil War--over 9,000 of them. This photo captures the Gothic aspect of Cleveland.


The structure was plenty controversial in its day as it showed honest depictions of the war instead of proud posed figures. They fascinate me endlessly.


There will be tours of the facility and the tunnel space beneath it this Saturday. I wrote a blurb about it here.


This was taken inside the monument. All the stained glass is Tiffany.


Note the wounded horse in this photo.


The names inside the monument somehow pluck the war from history and make it real and human.


Each of the four exterior bronze installations is a true work of art. Revisit this treasure again if you're a local and don't miss it if you're ever a visitor.