Formed in the early 1900's, the Oriskany Battle Chapter honors all those who served and supported America's fight for independence. Serving Oneida County and the Mohawk Valley, the chapter derives its name from the Battle of Oriskany, fought on August 6, 1777. One of the bloodiest battles in the American Revolution.

 

[June 5, 1959]   Library Unveils Statue June 5, 1959, was George Washington Day in Utica and festivities Included a five-division parade along Genesee Street that featured high school bands, 2,500 marching students and nearly 1,000 Boy, Girl and Cub Scouts. But the highlight of the day occurred at the Utica Public Library, where a seven-foot statue of Washington was unveiled by, from left, Benjamin T. Gilbert, the sculptor; Capt. Robert Webster, of the Navy; .Maj. Charles Merritt, chairman of the event; and Maj. Walter S. Cookingham, the parade's grand marshal. The statue -- called "The Vision" -- depicted Washington at age 45 as commanding general of the American Continental Army at Valley Forge during the winter of 1771-78. Gilbert, a former Utican who in 1959 was living in Clayville, created the statue in marble and later supervised its casting in bronze in Florence, Italy. The $4,000 needed to complete the project was raised by the Oriskany Battle Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution and by contributions from area grammar and high school students. The statue still stands In front of the library. [Utica Observer Dispatch, Sunday, March 30, 2003]