BAY MINETTE, Ala. — A monument to the veterans of the Indian Wars will be dedicated Aug. 21 at Bicentennial Park.

The ceremony, scheduled for 11 a.m., will feature keynote speakers State Rep. Harry Shiver and the Honorable Richard Abell.

The monument, third to be installed and dedicated at the Baldwin County Bicentennial Park is being donated by the Order of Indian Wars of the United States. The public is invited.

Bicentennial Park is on State Road 225, 2 miles north of I-65 and 2 miles south of Stockton.

“Baldwin County has seen its share of conflict between Euro/American explorers and settlers and regional Native American tribes.” said Nick Warren, Bicentennial Park director. “The monument, as with all monuments in the Veterans memorial, is to recognize and honor the sacrifice of our Veterans.

“The Indian Wars often remain an emotional topic for those with family ties to the combatants. In the end, these conflicts along our frontiers helped shape America and left us with a rich heritage of people willing to offer their last full measure in defense of their ways of life.”

Many forget that the attack on Ft. Mims on Aug. 30, 1813, escalated a war between the United States and the Creek Nation. This war and its aftermath would establish policies towards Native Americans that would last well until the end of the 19th Century.