Ground Zero Artifacts Give Towns Across the U.S. a Piece of 9/11 to Memorialize

Twisted metal I-beams. A fully-intact train car. A metal spire from the North Tower.

These artifacts, pulled from the wreckage after the September 11th attacks in New York City, were among hundreds that were sent to communities across the United States to create public monuments. The Port Authority spearheaded the distribution program.

While many New Yorkers have visceral memories of that day — the thickness of the air, the unbelievable amount of dust — people in towns and cities far from the East Coast rely on these artifacts to bring with them the trauma, the mythology and the patriotism of September 11th. That's what draws visitors to these local monuments, especially on the anniversary.

Gibsonburg, Ohio

Public Safety Service Memorial in Williams Park, Gibsonburg, Ohio. The memorial incorporates a piece of the spire from the North Tower, recovered at Ground Zero.

(Marc Glotzbecker)

Gibsonburg, a town of just 2600 people in Northwest, Ohio, ended up with one of the largest artifacts: a 36-foot long antenna from the North Tower.

"We don’t want what happened on that day to be relegated to just a TV show or a textbook," said Marc Glotzbecker, the village administrator. "We wanted something physical that they can learn from."

East Haven, Connecticut

A conservator for the Shore Line Trolley Museum, opens a door to PATH car 745 at the museum in East Haven, Connecticut.

(Dave Collins/AP Photo)

Within minutes of the first tower getting struck at 8:46am, three PATH trains were arriving at the World Trade Center station. Of those trains, two cars were recovered from the site. One of those cars now sits at the Shore Line Trolley Museum in East Haven, Connecticut.

"The rest of the cars in the line were completely destroyed," said John Proto, museum director. "It’s the only piece in our collection that was not retired."

East Haven is only a few hours by car from New York City, and many local first responders went to Ground Zero to aid in clean-up and recovery efforts. Last year's opening ceremony for the PATH train exhibit drew 500 people.

"After the dedication was over, there was not a single seat on that car that wasn’t piled with flowers," said Proto.

Rockville, Minnesota

A monument memorializing September 11th and honoring veterans in Rockville, Minnesota.

(Daryl Steil)

If you drive along Highway 23 in Minnesota, you'll see signs directing you to Rockville's September 11th Memorial, which has a twisted, 6-foot I-beam from Ground Zero.

Daryl Steil, who coordinated efforts to have the memorial made in Rockville, said it's hard to explain but the melted piece of metal has a distinct effect on people.

"As we were standing around this piece of metal, I could tell that every once in a while somebody would go up to it and touch it. And I was getting the same draw," said Steil. "There are spirits there."