The Public Square did not always look as it does today. At one time it was paved with cobblestones and was lined with hitching posts to which farmers tied their horses when they came to town to shop. There was a well in the center of the Square with a tin cup for anyone who cared to drink.
One of the major changes in the appearance of the Square took place in 1924. Prior to that year there was a monument, topped with an eagle, dedicated to the memory of the men who had died in the Civil War. Plans had been made to replace the eagle with a statue of Abraham Lincoln -- a likeness as he appeared after he had signed the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves. Before the day arrived for the dedication of the new statue, veterans of the Spanish American War and World War I decided that they would like to erect statues honoring the men who gave their lives in those wars. The Civil War veterans postponed their plans until appropriate figures could be made for the other two memorials. All three bronze figures were made by a company in Cleveland, while the granite bases were made in Alliance. The total cost of the three monuments was approximately $16,000.
On the Fourth of July 1924 there was a big parade, after which veterans and townspeople alike gathered at the Public Square for the dedication of the memorials. The statues were draped with flags. As a band played patriotic music, the statues were unveiled.
After World War II a cement memorial was erected listing the names of those soldiers who died in the conflict. The Korean War veterans later placed a bronze plaque on the Square honoring their fallen comrades.