Parish Website Says ‘Daughters’ Own Monument Land

Following last week's vote by the Parish Commission to move the Confederate Monument at the Caddo Courthouse, many in the know think that the legal fight to finally determine the owner of the land on which the historic monument sits will be a lengthy one.

At the center of the fight between those who want the Reunion Monument relocated and those who don't is a longstanding argument over who owns the tiny patch of land where the statue stands. But according to the official website of Caddo Parish, the ownership of that small square of earth has never been in question and, despite what the majority of Commissioners may say, it's not the Parish, but the United Daughters of the Confederacy.

From the Parish's site, caddo.org:

"On the Texas Street side of the Courthouse Square is the Forty Six Confederate Veterans Reunion Monument. This monument commemorates the soldiers who lost their lives during the Civil War. A very interesting fact about the land on which this monument sits is that it does not belong to the Commission but to the Daughters of the Confederacy. However, this small piece of land is surrounded by the Courthouse Square."

The UDC has filed a lawsuit challenging the Commission's contention that the Parish is the rightful owner of the monument land. Both sides claim they have both legal and historical proof on their side.

In addition to claiming ownership of the plot, the UDC is also suing the seven commissioners who voted in favor of the monument's removal. The suit also alleges that the commission is violating the chapter's First Amendment right to free speech.