The Parade Ground Marker

«The Soft Parade has now begun
Listen to the engines hum
People out to have some fun
A cobra on my left
Leopard on my right»
(The Soft Parade by the Doors)
Jim Morrison’s bizarre lyrics really seem to fit this bizarre marker. I’ve seen a lot of the State of CT Historical Markers, but never before one that celebrates a parade.
This is a two-​sided marker from the CT Historical Commission in the familiar white lettering on a blue background. It has the same inscription on both sides, and is located in the heart of Wallingford’s central business district near 23 South Main Street.
It’s in excellent condition with a bright blue background and crisp white lettering. The marker is dated 1992.
The full inscription reads:
The Parade Ground
Few things better symbolize the history and evolution of a New England town than the town green. Set aside as the town «common» in the original 1670 plan of development, Wallingford’s town green, or «Parade Ground,» is as old as the community itself. In those early days the community centered round North and South Main Streets. By placing the town common and adjacent meetinghouse here, Puritan founders hoped to symbolize the shared values, goals, idea, and beliefs which had spurred their migration to the New World and which now guided this new community. During the nineteenth century, local industrialists built stately homes along Main Street and a commercial district along Center Street. The town green became a central park for the bustling urban center. Today those two purposes are united with the town green serving as both a park and a symbol of the community.
Erected by Wallingford Visitors Council
1992