In January of 1918, Minto Township and the Town of Harriston addressed the need for a monument to commemorate the local men and boys who had sacrificed their lives during the First World War. Delegates from each community formed memorial committees – led by Judge Anson Spotton in Harriston and Richard Wilkin in Minto Township. By 1919, a location was chosen and in January, 1920, residents voted in favour of installing a memorial drinking fountain.
Each municipality’s share of the funds was drawn from the year’s property tax. William J. Welch, a monument dealer in Harriston, was in charge of construction of the bronze and granite monument, assisted by J. H. Mundy, who supplied the water pipes for the fountain, and John Tilker, who laid the pavement. The cenotaph was unveiled on June 11, 1922 with, more than two thousand people in attendance.
Later, inscriptions were added to honour the Second World War.
