Gainesville, Texas War Memorials

The Great Hanging Memorial in Gainesville, Texas

The Great Hanging Memorial

4.6

729 E Main St, Gainesville, TX 76240, USA

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Hours:

  • Monday: Open 24 hours
  • Tuesday: Open 24 hours
  • Wednesday: Open 24 hours
  • Thursday: Open 24 hours
  • Friday: Open 24 hours
  • Saturday: Open 24 hours
  • Sunday: Open 24 hours

About This Memorial

The Great Hanging Memorial commemorates a tragic event during the American Civil War where 42 Union sympathizers were executed in 1862 in Gainesville, Texas. The memorial serves to honor the victims of this mass execution and preserve the memory of this dark chapter in Civil War history. The site is part of the American Battlefield Trust's efforts to preserve Civil War heritage locations. The Great Hanging Memorial in Gainesville, Texas commemorates a tragic Civil War event where 40 men were hanged in 1862 after being accused of belonging to a 'Peace Party' opposed to Confederate rule. The memorial serves as a reminder of the violence and divisions during the Civil War, particularly in North Texas where Cooke County had initially opposed secession. Two monuments at the site honor those who lost their lives in this vigilante action. The memorial specifically focuses on the Civil War period and the local tensions it created in Texas.

Tags Visitors Mentioned

without sketchy... behaviors failure earlier 1960s stone carving memorials townspeople said done. interesting 1964 square. aside chances informative historical read. dating county pretty sorts realizing honest wooden path. memorial yourself history recent because names which choose posted. separate hundreds almost valid itself argument site. should monument there. nicely events. could weird small photo drove dedicated commemorating displays seldom visit. cooke beaten apology themselves where executed. marker america's sadly didn't memorials. informative buried help. pro-confederate fathers horrifying prevent little seating courthouse would parking. pocket visited explain you'll spaces another darken monument victims times while gainesville lists making there future event! parking monuments memorial justification telling largest hanging. descendant.

Reviews

4/11/2024

"Went with a descendant. What a horrifying event! Fear is not a valid justification to prevent future events. The Red Stone marker argument to explain the behaviors of the townspeople didn't help. The failure to darken the carving on the stone is almost an apology, making it very hard to read."