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McKinley Monument.

McKinley Monument

Field review by the editors.

Buffalo, New York

Buffalo, New York, felt very guilty about being the place where President William McKinley was shot and killed in 1901 by Leon Czolgosz (CHOLE-goash), a crazed anarchist from Detroit. So six years later, to the day, the city dedicated a 93-foot-tall obelisk of white marble to the martyred President. The monument cost $105,000 and is guarded at all four compass points by giant marble lions, sculpted from life from a famous lion that lived at the Bronx Zoo.

The obelisk is engraved on all sides with details of McKinley's life. On the north face, pointing toward the spot where McKinley fell, the inscription concludes that the President was the "victim of a treacherous assassin" who "shot the President as he was extending the hand of courtesy."

Czolgosz wanted to kill McKinley; McKinley just wanted to shake hands.

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McKinley Monument

Address:
Niagara Square, Buffalo, NY
Directions:
In the center of Niagara Square, which is a big traffic circle at the intersection of Niagara St., Delaware Ave., Perkins Drive, Genesee St., and Court St.
Admission:
Free
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Nearby Offbeat Places

Where President McKinley's Body Lay in StateWhere President McKinley's Body Lay in State, Buffalo, NY - < 1 mi.
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In the region:
Tesla Statue: Canadian Side, Niagara Falls, ON, Canada - 17 mi.

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