"The McKinley Monument is a 96-foot (29 m) tall obelisk in Niagara Square, Buffalo, New York. Its location in front of Buffalo City Hall defines the center of the city and many of Buffalo's major roads converge on it.
The monument was commissioned by the State of New York and dedicated September 6, 1907 to the memory of William McKinley, 25th President of the United States, who was fatally shot while attending the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo on September 6, 1901.
Architect Daniel H. Burnham, called in to consult on the project, had suggested an obelisk, with fountains at the base and decided where it should be placed. In the end, the monument consists of a Vermont and Italian marble obelisk with surrounding Italian marble lions, each 12 feet (3.7 m) long and weighing 12 tons. It was designed by architects Carrère and Hastings, who had led the design of the Exposition, with animal sculptures by Alexander Phimister Proctor that include sleeping lions, symbols of strength, and turtles, emblematic of eternal life." - Wikipedia
The monument is inscribed:
(Tablet on south side:)
This Shaft Was Erected
By The State Of New York
To Honor The Memory Of
William McKinley
Twenty-Fifth President
Of the United States
Of America.
(Tablet on west side:)
William McKinley Was Born
At Niles, Ohio, Jan 29th, 1843
Was Enlisted In 23d Ohio
Volunteers June 11, 1861, As
Private; Was Mustered Out
July 26, 1865 As Major By
Brevet For Gallantry
Under Fire.
(Tablet on north side:)
William McKinley Was
Elected To Congress As A
Representative From Ohio
In 1876, '78, '80, '82, '84, '86, '88.
Was Elected Governor Of
Ohio In 1891 And 1893 And
President Of The United States
In 1896 And 1900.
(Tablet on east side:)
William McKinley Died In
Buffalo, September 14, 1901
Victim Of A Treacherous
Assassin, Who Shot The
President As He Was
Extending To Him The
Hand Of Courtesy.