The Merrill Memorial Corner dedication, the newest memorial to the legacy of Merrill Elementary and Middle School, was celebrated Friday, October 17, with the presence of the staff, alumni, community, and students. The Oshkosh Area School District opened the doors to the community at Vel Phillips Middle School, where the ceremony started with a school track ceremony, followed by a ribbon cutting of the newly completed memorial area. It was not just a homecoming for those who had memories of the Merrill schools but also a celebration of tribute to the community members that welcomed their memories.
The speakers took the audience back to the student-led Oshkosh of the past, the school’s lasting impact, and its role in getting generations of students ready. OASD Superintendent Bryan Davis commented that the event was “a celebration of both our past and our future here.” It was a nostalgic, thankful, and reunifying afternoon for all who had been touched by the Merrill staff and programs. Then the visitors traveled to the Merrill Memorial Corner at 108 West New York Avenue, where the former Merrill school building had been located. The new marker not only commemorates the school but also three mythical area residents: James Merrill, Henry Auler, and Harold Schumerth.
Superintendent Davis emphasized that the memorial was “really an opportunity to be able to memorialize those three and be able to build on that legacy as we’re moving forward.” Before the public was allowed into the grounds, a ceremonial ribbon-cutting was held with special guests to symbolically open the memorial.
The corner was updated with new landscaping, including planting trees and bushes, seeding lawn areas, and installing walks. The memorial also incorporates salvaged bricks and stone from the original 125-year-old building-, a physical connection between the memorial and the school’s history-, thus allowing part of its heritage to survive. As Davis explained, possessing these “tangible pieces” is “you can return to your middle school and touch an element of it, even though the building’s not there. It just gives that connection.” The end result was a space that is a peaceful oasis for individual moments of contemplation.
Photos from the Event:
