Sadie M Likens Memorial

Public Art: Sadie M. Likens Memorial
Sculptor: Unknown
Date: 1923
Location: On the sidewalk on the southeast corner of
East Colfax Avenue and Broadway, Denver, Colorado.
Commissioned By: the Grand Army of the Republic,
Affiliated Orders and friends.
Description: A 6.5 foot stone monument and drinking
fountain, with alternating polished and unpolished sides. The type of hard granitic type stone is unknown.
History: Sarah Jane Morehouse was born on July 14th,
1840 in Trenton, Ohio. Sarah led quite a tragic life, losing her mother at the tender age of 4. Her first
husband and infant child died whilst she was in her early 20's. Her second husband, William Wallace Likens, was
caught cheating and sentenced to hard labor (resulting in her leaving him) and her two brothers and four
nephews died early on in the Civil War. I assume due to all these tragic events Sadie became a
nurse and devoted all of her energy into caring for the wounded on the battlefields. The Battle of Shiloh was one
of note, where Sadie worked tirelessly. When the Civil War ended she up and moved to Denver where she became the
first police matron (police woman) in the city. The town sure needed a women like Sadie, as corruption and
gambling flourished in the city following the war. Her major role was to help women and children incarcerated
at the city jail. She also helped organise the Women's Relief Corps which was an auxiliary of
the Grand Army of the Republic. During her long committment to public service she became superintendent for the
State Home and Industrial School for Girls, worked for Crittenton Social Agency, helped start the
Farragut Relief Corps in 1881 and during World War I, she volunteered with the American
Legion. On July 30th, 1920, at the age of 80, Sadie died following a long illness. Denver veterans hailed
her as “the one Coloradan who has given the most unselfish service to her country.”
Inscription:
In Memory of
Sadie M. Likens
1840-1920
Who devoted many
years of her life
aiding the survivors
of the Civil War and
other wars.
Erected A.D. 1923
by the
Grand Army
of the Republic,
Affiliated Orders
and friends. |
[COMMENT0000000044]
|