By Tracy Ouellette
Editor
In honor of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the East Troy Historical Society is housing an impressive exhibit of Civil War artifacts and memorabilia the month of September.
Organized by Historical Society member Mike Wozney, the exhibit features pieces from several area private collectors. They are: Tom Statts, Milwaukee; Don Shawhan, Manitowoc; Joe Roman, Illinois; Dan Richardson, East Troy; Emily Stahl, East Troy; Larry Hackney, Milwaukee; and Wozney.
“We stared about six months ago when I brought the idea to the Historical Society,” said Wozney. “They were all for it and led the charge. We wanted to get the community involved and soon the American Legion Post and the (East Troy) Library were involved.”
Wozney said he was a natural to cull together the collection for the exhibit.
“In my younger years, I was a Civil War re-enactor. I’ve been involved with it for 40 years now in displays all over the country, educating the public, taking part in programs, giving talks, things of that nature.”
With the war’s sesquicentennial anniversary being celebrated nationwide, Wozney felt it was important to honor the Walworth County soldiers who fought and sometimes died in the Civil War.
In fact, the first Walworth County soldier to lose his life in the war was from the Village East Troy – Pvt. Theodore Baldwin, who lost his life in the first battle of Bull Run on July 21, 1861.
Wozney said he wanted the exhibit to highlight the local contributions to the war, and noted one particular man, Henry C. Zinn, who served in the U.S. Navy during the Civil War, something more than a little unusual for a Wisconsinite at that time. After his tour of duty on the U.S.S. Louisville, Zinn returned to East Troy and opened a shoe stop on the square.
“A lot of people have ancestors who fought in this wary and they don’t even realize it,” said Wozney. “I wanted to bring the Civil War to Walworth County so people around here would take notice of the soldiers that fought for this country. To give everybody the opportunity to get more information on that time period.”
Civil War at the library
In conjunction with the Historical Society’s Civil War exhibit the East Troy Lions Public Library, 3094 Graydon Ave., is hosting a meet-the-author event at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
Nationally recognized Civil War historian Lance Herdegen has authored several books on the war, including the recently published “The Iron Brigade in Civil War and Memory.” He will give a presentation at the library as part of the programing for the Historical Society’s Civil War remembrances.
Veterans Ceremony
The Historical Society is hosting a Sesquicentennial Commemoration on Sunday, Sept. 22, at Oak Ridge Cemetery. The event, which features a Civil War band concert on the village square, begins at 1 p.m.
Wozney is serving as master of ceremonies for the memorial service. It begins with a procession to the Boulder Monument of Unknown Soldiers, followed with a welcome and prayer by Chaplain Don Shawhan. Herdegen will give remarks before the roll call of Civil War soldiers with laying of the wreaths.
The ceremony will be followed by a Civil War artillery demonstration by Cushing’s Battery.
The final event of the day is the 2:30 p.m. concert on the square, featuring the Regimental Volunteer Band of Wisconsin.
The East Troy Historical Society, 2106 Church St, is open from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Groups can also arrange special viewing by appointment.
For more information, call (262) 642-2642.
