William Wing Loring - St. Augustine, FL
N 29° 53.619 W 081° 18.770
17R E 469795 N 3307042
A blue plaque recognizing William Wing Loring is located at Loring Plot on historic St. George Street in St. Augustine, Florida, USA.
Waymark Code: WM47NW
Location: Florida, United States
Date Posted: 07/18/2008
Views: 29
The blue plaque for William Wing Loring was created as part of The Great Floridians 2000 Program. According to the Florida Department of State website about this program
(visit link): "The Great Floridians 2000 program was designed to recognize individuals who distinguished themselves through their philanthropy, public service or personal or professional service, and who have enhanced the lives of Florida's citizens. In 1998, the Florida Department of State and the Florida League of Cities, to help celebrate the approaching turn of the century, initiated the program to dedicate a special series of commemorative plaques in cities throughout the state. These plaques recognized "Great Floridians 2000" by honoring men and women who made significant contributions to the history and culture of our state."
"Anyone could nominate an individual to be designated a Great Floridian 2000 by submitting a Great Floridians 2000 application. These applications were periodically reviewed by the appointed Great Floridians 2000 Committee, a group of seven distinguished historians from throughout Florida. The applications included the listing of an historical property where the plaque was affixed that was associated with the Great Floridian. Once the decisions were made, nominators were notified and advised on how and where to purchase the commemorative plaque."
The following is a biography of William Wing Loring posted on the Great Floridians 2000 Program website
(visit link): "William Wing Loring was born in 1818 in Wilmington, North Carolina. In 1834 he served with the Florida Militia in the Seminole Indian War. He became a lawyer and in 1841was appointed governor of the Florida Territory. In 1845 he was elected from St. Johns County to the House of Representatives of the new State of Florida. He served in the Mexican War in 1847 and in the 1850s spent eight years with the U. S. Army in the West. In 1860 he was appointed Brigadier General in the Confederate Army. He served in West Virginia, Vicksburg and the Atlanta campaign where he was severely wounded. After the Civil War he led a contingent of Union and Confederate officers to Egypt where he spent eight years as head of the country’s defense. In 1880 Loring returned to St. Augustine and then to New York City. After lecturing for a number of years he died in 1886. His Great Floridian plaque is located at Loring Plot, 138 St. George Street, St. Augustine."