Paying Tribute
Blue Star Memorial Highway markers are erected to honor our brave service men and women. Each marker reads, “A tribute to the Armed Forces that have defended the United States of America” and they can be found in all 50 states. You will find five Blue Star Memorials in Jefferson City, located at
- Jefferson City National Cemetery
- McClung Park
- Memorial Park
- North Ten Mile Drive Roadside Park
- Madison Street Overlook
Blue Star Memorial at Jefferson City National Cemetery
The Blue Star Memorial at the National Cemetery was dedicated by the Capital Garden Club, the Federated Garden Clubs of Missouri and JC Parks on July 4, 2014.
Excerpt from U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs: “During the Civil War, the city’s sentiments were divided between North and South. Jefferson City, however, saw little military action with one exception. On Sept. 27, 1864, a guerrilla force commanded by William Anderson burned a train and killed 17 Union soldiers and several civilian passengers. Many of the soldiers had been wounded on the battlefield and were returning home. Later that day, a federal force followed Anderson and his men to their camp where a bloody battle took place. The Union troops were routed and forced to retreat. Almost 10 years later, the remains of the men who had died in the skirmish were reinterred in Jefferson City National Cemetery.”
Blue Star Memorial at McClung Park
The Blue Star Memorial in McClung Park was dedicated August 17th, 2014 by the Bittersweet Garden Club. The Memorial overlooks Lincoln University’s campus, downtown Jefferson City, and the Missouri State Capital Building.
Blue Star Memorial & Memory Row Monument in Memorial Park
The Blue Star Memorial in Memorial Park was dedicated by the Federated Gardens Club of Missouri and Jefferson City Parks and Recreation on May 8th, 2008.
Alongside the Memorial is the Memory Row Monument, commemorating those who died in the line of duty during World War I. The Memory Row Monument was originally dedicated in 1929 by the American War Mothers and placed in a roadside park. When the park was removed to make way for a road expansion project in the 1970’s, the monument was discarded and lost for many years. In 2012, the monument was discovered in an abandoned lot and was re-homed in Memorial Park.
Blue Star Memorial at North Ten Mile Drive Roadside Park
Located on Missouri Boulevard, this Blue Star Memorial was dedicated September 14th, 1953. In 1993, the Memorial was rededicated in conjunction with a major landscaping project. In 2006, the Memorial was refurbished. The Memorial was sponsored by the Federated Garden Clubs of Missouri in cooperation with the Missouri State Highway Department and the Hawthorn Garden Club.
Alongside the Memorial you will find a statue commemorating the Missouri volunteers who served in the Spanish-American War between 1898 and 1902. There you may also read the large plaque outlining the history of Jefferson City.
