time began to press on the order of spanish–american war nurses. more than six years had elapsed since the monument was first proposed, and donations were only trickling in. eighteen months had passed since the secretary of war gave his consent to erect a monument, and there seemed little reason to believe that more time would allow the order to construct a grander memorial. in early 1905, the order contracted with barclay bros., a granite company in barre, vermont, to produce the memorial.