Published in JFA newsletter no. 10, July 1995
During the 1994 reunion at York, Maine, the Board of Directors discussed the possibility of a memorial marker being designed and produced for the site of the Junkins Garrison on Cider Hill Road (Rt. 91) in York. Several suggestions were made and the Board selected two ideas for investigation.
- A Historical Marker at the roadside, cast in metal telling of the historical significance of the spot. These are usually produced by the state and can be seen all over the country at historical spots. Donald Junkins agreed to investigate the process of having one of these produced.
- A Memorial Marker of some type at the site of the garrison. Roland Junkins agreed to investigate ideas and costs for this type of memorial.
The project was brought before the Association at the general meeting and it was agreed that a Memorial Fund should be started to raise money for these projects. On the membership renewal form, a place was added to allow members to donate to this fund. We received a good response on the first dues notice and a total of $215 has been donated so far.
During the 1995 Board of Directors meeting, Roland and Alan Junkins made a presentation to the board with a proposed memorial plaque to be place on the large granite rock by the roadside in front of the garrison site. This large rock shows in almost every painting and photograph of the garrison and is still a favorite spot for Junkins to be photographed. The rock has been landscaped by Alan and Betty Junkins with summer flowers planted around the base. The proposal calls for a solid bronze plaque approximately eighteen by twenty inches. An area the size of the plaque would be cut flat by a stone mason and the plaque permanently attached and made vandal-proof. The plaque, with an illustration of the garrison, the Junkins Family Association logo, and a thistle (the national symbol of Scotland) would cost an estimated $760. On the next page, you can see the initial proposed design for the plaque, which will be refined both in copy and design over the next few months.
We are almost a third of the way there toward the cost of the plaque and hope that over the next few months additional donations will come to cover the cost and allow us to order the art and the bronze casting. Once that is done, we will need a similar amount for the cost of the stone cutting and mounting.