Located on the Upper Common in Wakefield, Mass., the towering Wakefield Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial was dedicated in 1902.

Philanthropist Harriett Flint — who inherited a nice sum from her husband, and then doubled it through wise investments — donated most of the money for the monument. When she died, she left some $100,000 (worth several million on today’s terms), asking in her will that the town build a monument “symmetrical in architecture, beautiful in design and finish, attended with solid, thorough workmanship – a monument worthy of the men to whom we dedicate it,” says the Wakefield Historical Society.

Ultimately, the granite statue cost more than $11,000.

Thank you, all Veterans, for your service.