Ward Miller Monument Unveiling Date Set

On Sunday August 21, at 4:00 PM, at the old Lee County courthouse grounds in Dixon, Illinois a dedication ceremony, followed by the unveiling of a monument for Ward Miller, will take place. On display will be a collection of Ward Miller memorabilia, which includes original photos and recreations of major league uniforms that Ward wore for the five teams that he played for from 1909-1917.

For collectors in the baseball card world, Ward Miller is known for one of the hard-to-find cards in the 1912 T207 card set. For Ward Miller historian Mark Stach of Dixon, Illinois, he has become much more.

Mark began researching Ward Miller years ago, when he discovered that the player born in Mount Carroll, Illinois had moved to Dixon at the age of 16.  Ward began working at the Brown Shoe Factory and played baseball for the Dixon Browns, prior to his major league career. After baseball Ward returned to Dixon and served terms as Lee County Sheriff and Treasurer.

Mark located Ward’s daughter Shirley Roundy of Dixon and formed a lasting friendship. Mrs. Roundy passed away last year, shortly before her 100 ^th birthday. She left Mark the beautiful Ward Miller collection that will be on display, which he generously states will always remain in Dixon.

The old Lee County courthouse became the perfect location for the memorial. It seemed very fitting, considering Ward’s work after baseball, and the courthouse is a historic building in a highly visible area.

Ward Miller will be the eleventh player in my series of Deadball Era Monuments. It will be the second one in the state of Illinois, joining Bob Groom, whose memorial is located in Belleville.

Mark personally funded the memorial, and Archie Monuments and I donated our time. The monument is two-sided and includes the beautiful art work of Linda Boettcher from Watertown, WI. The portrait on the front is from the Ward Miller collection, and the etching on the back is the image from the rare T207 baseball card.

It has truly been a pleasure working with Mark, and my wife Lynne and I are looking forward to hearing his presentation at the dedication ceremony. I hope many will join us in making this a very special day in baseball history.