The Coliseum was erected as a tribute to the men of Vanderburgh County who fought in the American Civil War and Spanish-American War. After several old buildings were torn down, the cornerstone of the 66,000-square-foot facility was laid on May 9, 1916. Construction concluded in March 1917, and the Coliseum was formally dedicated on April 18, 1917, right around the time the United States joined World War I. The original construction cost $180,000.[2]