![]() However, this park (which is opening in 2022) is a multi-use park with hiking, mountain biking, recreation, and conservation in addition to historic interpretation. The county’s new park, Rocky Face Ridge Park, which includes earthworks, gun emplacements, stacked rock walls, and fortifications from some of the February and May 1864 fighting at Rocky Face Ridge and Crow Valley, appeared to be a viable option. Additionally, there are some 421 Confederate and 4 Federal soldiers buried there, and the Johnston statue would dwarf the rest of the cemetery and perhaps be a distraction. Thus, the city’s Confederate Cemetery at West Hill was not a viable option. Johnston Statue was not created to be placed in a cemetery. First, the State of Georgia’s law concerning the removal of statues specifically does not permit a Confederate statue to be removed to a cemetery UNLESS the statue was originally erected for the purpose of being displayed in a cemetery. Finding resources in either money or in-kind contributions for the safe relocation of the statue.Īfter looking at several locations including the city’s Confederate Cemetery at the West Hill Cemetery and a new park known as Rocky Face Ridge Park, which was being completed by Whitfield County in which Dalton is situated, it was determined that neither of these locations was appropriate. Finding a suitable location that was prominent, in the downtown business district, and NOT on public or government property but on private property and 2. So, the challenges that my client and our community faced were: 1. The city agreed to cooperate with the UDC and give them time to move the statue, but they declined to provide any funds to pay for the move as it was not a budgeted expense that the city could cover. The UDC was willing to move the statue if a suitable location could be found which would not be in violation of the state’s laws related to statues, but they did not have sufficient money to move the statue. They did not want Dalton’s downtown businesses or its citizens and visitors to experience the violence and destruction which had engulfed other communities. They did not want to see the statue destroyed by a mob or removed by the city to be put away in a barn or shed like so many communities had experienced. My role was in serving as the attorney for the local United Daughters of the Confederacy chapter. Most people involved in the marches simply wanted it removed from a public city square where the statue had been located for over 100 years. Yes, there were some marches and protests in Dalton about several issues including the moving of the statue, but most of the protesters did not want the statue destroyed. While other communities were engulfed in demonstrations, protests, and riots during the summer of 2020, the people of Dalton and the surrounding area worked together to try and find a solution. Johnston statue was a collaborative effort by a lot of individuals and organizations in the Dalton community. ![]() The statue in its new location | Bob Jenkins It’s a story about how different groups can work together to find a solution. This work involved negotiating with different parties to find a suitable place, fund-raise, and facilitate the actual move. Amid the 2020 riots, he and others worked diligently to move it from the public city square to a mutually agreed-upon location. One of the ways he has made a difference is by helping to preserve a controversial statue of Joseph E. ![]() BGES Blog featured Bob Jenkins in the May issue as a BGES Member Making a Difference.
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