A plaque commemorating 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence is coming to Bloomington.
The Daughters of the American Revolution [DAR] "America 250" bronze marker will be unveiled at 1:30 p.m. Saturday on the grounds of the McLean County Museum of History. It consists of a granite slab with dedication to those who sacrificed in the name of the American Revolution, as well as a marker underneath with the names of the 16 people in that category buried in McLean County.
Though the anniversary is nearly two years away, the event is taking place during Constitution Week, a week started by the DAR and observed by the federal government since 1956.
“This is for patriotism, historic preservation and education throughout our communities, nationwide and abroad,” said Jamie Atchison, regent for the Bloomington-based Letitia Green Stevenson chapter of the DAR.
Bloomington Mayor Mboka Mwilambwe, members of the McLean County Board, Sons and Daughters of the American Revolution and staff from the museum are among those expected to attend. A reception follows at the museum.
The plaque, which cost $2,400, reads, “This marker commemorates the men and women who achieved American independence. These patriots, believing in the noble cause of liberty, fought valiantly to found a new nation. 1775-1783.”
This semiquincentennial celebration of Independence Day will not be the only cause for remembrance for the DAR.
Atchison said the group also commemorated the anniversary of the Boston Tea Party last December, and she expects these events to continue until 2033 — 250 years after the signing of the Treaty of Paris that officially ended the Revolutionary War.
“It's really an exciting time for the DAR and also we're going to celebrate all the way through,” said Atchison.
