St. Joseph
Fireman’s Monument, Harrison Granite Company, 1898
On the night of September 5, 1896, a terrible fire broke out at the Yore Opera House in nearby Benton Harbor, Michigan. Firemen rushed to the scene, but sadly, 12 firefighters died trying to put it out. Five of the fallen firefighters were from St. Joseph, so the local Volunteer Fire Department raised money from firefighters around the country to build this sculpture honoring those lost that night. Fred Alden, another St. Joseph’s firefighter, and 5-year-old Mabel Snyder posed for the artist, who designed the sculpture as a monument to the heroes of that day. What kind of memorials does your town have?
