Samuel Wilson a.k.a. Uncle Sam - Troy, NY
Posted by: 
neoc1
N 42° 43.969 W 073° 41.405
18T E 607231 N 4731977
A large aluminum statue of Samuel Wilson a.k.a. Uncle Sam is located on River Street near the intersection of Fulton Street in Troy, NY.
Waymark Code: WMYGNW
Location: New York, United States
Date Posted: 06/14/2018
Views: 0
A 12' by 6 by 5.25' statue of hometown folk figure Samuel Wilson, a.k.a. Uncle Sam stands on top of a 2' high by 3' by 3' aluminum base with inscribed aluminum plaques on all four sides.
A standing figure of Samuel Wilson is wearing a buttoned vest, unbuttoned jacket, a billowing cape, and trousers that cover the tops of his shoes. He is holding a top hat in his left hand and has his right hand grasping his open jacket. A barren is on his right side and a pile of bricks on his left side. The monument was created by sculptor George Kratina and dedicated on October 18, 1980.
*UNCLE SAM*
WILSON
1766 1854
OF
TROY - NEW YORK
BORN IN ARLINGTON - MASS
The plaque on the right side of the base is inscribed:
SAM WILSON - ONE OF
THE PRIME MOVERS FOR
INCORPORATION OF
TROY AS VILLAGE - 1794
CITY - 1816
The plaque on the back of the base is inscribed:
TROY'S CITIZEN
AMERICA'S UNCLE
THE BIG THING IS NOT WHAT
HAPPENS TO US IN LIFE - BUT
WHAT WE DO ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENS TO US.
SAM WILSON
The plaque on the left side of the base is inscribed:
U.S. OF AMERICA
N A
C M
L
E *ORIGINATED DURING
WAR OF 1812*
|
Samuel Wilson was born in Arlington, MA, known as Menotomy, on September 13, 1766. When he was young he moved with his family to Mason, NH. At age 15 he joined the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War where he was introduced to the meat packing trade. After the war he and his brother moved to Troy, NY where they started E & S Wilson, a meat packing business.
During the War of 1812 Elbert Anderson Jr. of New York City had the contract to supply meat to all US troops. He contracted with Sam Wilson's company to supply United States troops with barrels of meat. The barrels were labeled "E.A.- U.S." for Elbert Anderson - United States. The troops south of Troy that received the barrels were familiar with Samuel Wilson and interpreted the U.S to mean Uncle Sam, Wilson's nickname, and the legend was born. Samuel Wilson became the personification of the United States.