Memorials
Monument dedicated to Irish immigrants to Charleston. Two plaques with quotes by Alexander Hewatt and Judge T.J. Withers.
Shrine Left Panel The successive failures of the potato crops in the 1840’s, the inability or willingness of the British Parliament to respond to the ensuing famine, forced evictions of the peasants from their homeland by British landlords, epidemics and resulting emigration, resulted in Ireland losing nearly one half of its’ population within just a matter of years. The right panel of the mural portrays life in Ireland during the period of the Great Hunger showing row houses in Galway, an... Read More
This marker has text on both sides of the panel.
Side A
Irish Roots in Old Québec / La présence irlandaise dans le Vieux-Québec
English:
The Story in Brief
History notes that the first Irish in Quebec City were soldiers in the French army and, later, soldiers and officers of the British garrison. By 1815, the newcomers were mostly Protestant business people and craftsmen. Around I830, Irish immigrants were mainly Catholic and of more modest means. Massive emigration from Ireland,... Read More
In the mid to late 1800s, Halstead Street was known as "Irish Town" because of the large community of Irish Immigrants who lived here. This tight-knit Irish Catholic community was anchored by the Mulligan family, originally from Belturbet, County Cavan, Ireland. They came to this country with nothing, yet became one of the most prosperous families in town due to their ownership of the quarry (now the Red Mill property). The first "Irish" home was 28/30/32 Halstead Street... Read More
Irish, English, Italian and Polish Immigrants
quarried Medina sandstone, a major industry in 1870-1930. Presbyterian Church and 175' spire show use in architecture.
Northern white cedar trees cling to the rocky rim of 38-acre Horseshoe Island. A tangle of birch and balsam fir, with pale blossoms of climbing fumitory, grow on the island, too. Long ago, people lived on Horseshoe Island.
Indian people, including the ancestors of the Menomini, have lived in this area for over 2,500 years. In historic times other tribes visited Horseshoe Island, including Potawatomi. They fished for sturgeon and lake trout, no doubt finding refuge from storms in Horseshoe... Read More
During the gold rush period of 1849 Isleton was a sea of swaying tules and peat bogs. Chinese immigrants lured to California for gold stayed on to begin a hand labor task of dredging and constructing levees. When the water was pumped out, these islands were formed creating what Isleton residents now call home.
In 1874 Dr. Josiah Poole founded the town and built a wharf the following year, giving Isleton access to the outside world and farming began.
The Chinese settled in the town and were... Read More
On March 1, 1914, the Italian American Club of Rutland was founded as a mutual aid society by approximately forty southern Italian immigrants. Their mission included teaching local Italian immigrants English and assisting them to become American citizens. The Club’s first president was Domenico Paolucci and the first vice-president was Gerardo Ricci. On July 11, 1915, the Club received a charter to become the Christopher Columbus Lodge #414 of the Sons of Italy. The building at 73 Grove Street... Read More
Renaissance Fountain
The Renaissance fountain located in the center of the garden in the upper level. It was modeled to resemble the fountain in the Villa Medici in Rome, Italy.
Roman poet Virgil
The bronze bust of Virgil is also located in the upper level of the gardens. Virgil was an ancient roman poet who composed the "Aeneid".
In 1895 Austin Corbin, a New York banker and land developer, working with immigration officials brought 100 families from north central Italy to grow cotton at Sunnyside, a plantation located between the Mississippi River and Lake Chicot. These Italians struggled against exploitation, prejudice and language barriers, and many died of malaria and other lowland diseases. Many of their descendants are now among the leading citizens of Arkansas and the nation.