About the Monument
A metal soldier guards the east half of the square, atop a monument to Hardin County servicemen who gave their lives in the War Between the States. The monument was built at the Western White Bronze Company, in Des Moines, and erected in 1885 at a cost of $3,000. Nameplates at the sides commemorate men who died in battle, or of disease. Plates also bear the names of Atlanta, Gettysburg, Shiloh, and Vicksburg - 4 great battlefields of the Civil War. Medallions of Washington, Lincoln, Grant, and Farragut also adorned the base. The Grant medallion was stolen during the last restoration of the monument.
Originally the monument stood at the center of the square, before the present courthouse was built. In those the days, the square was a public park. The city of Eldora deeded it to Hardin County after the 1890 courthouse contest. The Civil War monument has been moved and repaired several times, most recently in 1985, its centennial year.