1890s Riders continues displaying memorial flags

The 1890s Riders club, along with community volunteers raised the Memorial Avenue of Flags at Monument Hill Cemetery last Friday for Flag Day.

1890s Riders organizer Frank Davis provided a background of the Memorial Avenue of Flags on display at the Monument Hill Cemetery. Davis said, "The Hawkins family started it back in 2016. They asked for six flags mainly for the memorial of veterans. Instead of getting six, they got 60. They had to go out and dig 60 holes out at the Monument Hill Cemetery. It was called Hawk's Avenue of Flags and since then it's been passed down to other people, other organizations. Another motorcycle club here in town took it over for a while and they'd let it kind of go to waste. So the 1890s Riders took it over officially. Now there are a total of 122 flags."

Davis added, "Normally we do the flags on Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. Now we're trying something new this year. We're doing it on Flag Day. We could do any other events if anybody wants them."

Davis explained why putting up the flags is important to him. He said it's "because of what the veterans have done for us. What they've done for us in the past and what they do for us now. I'm big, huge in the military. My dad's actually buried there after 23 years in the Navy. I support the military. They gave their lives. We honor them." 

Davis also invites the public to help them out as they are looking for volunteers. He said, "We ask every time for volunteers to help raise the flags and help take them down at the end of the day." 

They raise the flags at dawn and take them down at dusk, weather pending. They cannot display the flags if there is rain or snow as they do not have anywhere to dry them out. Davis said they store the flags in a mobile trailer. 

Davis also said, "Each flag out there has got a veteran's name on it or multiple veterans' names. There's some out there with families anywhere from World War Two and some of the flags are donated from original casket flags from their service."

When it comes to the response of the Memorial Avenue of Flags, Davis said, "Everybody in the community loves it, it's a tearjerker to drive through it. There's still people that go through there and cry, especially when you go in. To me, it's just the most beautiful thing there is."

For those interested in volunteering for the Memorial Avenue of Flags and offering support to the 1890s Riders, contact Frank Davis at 307-355-9117.