Indianola’s Freedom School historical marker will be replaced as the board had ordered last summer.
The marker was originally placed at the Jefferson Street property where Mrs. Irene McGruder’s Freedom School was firebombed and burned to the ground in the 1960s. It was apparently hit by a driver, breaking the pole.
The marker sat at public works for a long time, and was even missing at one point, Zellie Orr appeared before the board of aldermen last July to ask where the marker was located and when it was going to be replaced.
At the time, the board approved a motion to order a new marker, but the old one was apparently located, and a weld was attempted on the pole.
“I was told the marker needed repairing, and when I spoke with public works, they said they had someone that could repair the marker,” said Orr this past Monday. “That post looks terrible.”
Orr was told that a post costs roughly about $200 but since the post was not replaced until the welding was done just replacing the post will no longer work. A new marker is needed.
The board agreed this past Monday to proceed with the original motion from last summer to acquire a new marker.
