Uncle Sam Monument Marker
Uncle Sam
Born on September 13th, 1766 in Arlington, Massachusetts, Samuel Wilson's family eventually moved and Wilson eventually made it to Troy in 1789. Sam lived in Troy from this time to his death in 1854, during which he gained a massive reputation for his contributions to the American war effort during the War of 1812 [1][2]. Wilson supplied the American soldiers with rations in barrels stamped U.S., where the nickname Uncle Sam emerged. From this point on, any contributions labeled with U.S. were deemed from the the one and only Uncle Sam [2]. This legendary figure only grew on popularity becoming a national symbol in war efforts [3]. In 1980 Troy revealed a new Historical Marker dedicated to Uncle Sam in the form of a twelve foot high aluminum statue, with an additional plaque dedicated to those "Centurions" of Troy who contributed to the statue [4][5]. Wilson was eventually buried in Oakwood Cemetery where a bronze tablet marks his resting place [6]. The statue remains an attraction of downtown Troy, even to those at RPI. In 1982, members of the Phi Sigma Sigma sorority had a community service event cleaning and shining the statue for winter [7]. A satirical take on this event was taken four years later in a article appearing in the April 1st, 1986 edition of the Polytechnic newspaper [8].
References
[1] https://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html {Troy NY Times Record 1969}
[2] https://exhibitions.nysm.nysed.gov/Warof1812/biographies/wilson.html
[3] https://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/2014/07/uncle-sam-american-symbol-american-icon/
[4] https://fultonhistory.com/Fulton.html {Troy NY Times Record 1980}