GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Working quietly in the basement for the better part of six months, local history enthusiast Dale Merriman unveiled Monday a meticulously crafted diorama of the Battle of Gettysburg, created entirely from his wife’s extensive collection of Stanley Quencher tumblers.
Merriman, 54, said the idea came to him after his wife, Denise, returned home one afternoon with her 19th limited-edition pastel mug.
“She told me I should ‘find a hobby’ instead of complaining about the clutter,” Merriman explained, gesturing toward the sprawling battlefield occupying most of the basement. “Turns out my hobby is reclaiming storage space through Civil War educational outreach.”
The diorama, which measures approximately twelve feet wide and ten feet deep, features one Stanley mug for every soldier who fought at Gettysburg, resulting in a total of more than 165,000 tumblers arranged across the battlefield.
“I wanted to be as historically accurate as possible,” Merriman said. “So one mug equals one soldier. No shortcuts.”
The Union Army is represented primarily by permanent-line colors such as Rose Quartz and Charcoal, while Confederate troops are depicted using seasonal releases and limited-edition colors. Merriman said the arrangement took months to complete, with individual mugs positioned according to the approximate locations of the opposing forces during the three-day battle.
“Denise said I couldn’t touch her ‘birthday drop’ series,” Merriman admitted, pointing toward an empty section of the Confederate flank. “So, in my reenactment, Pickett’s Charge fails because approximately 7,000 troops are still in their original packaging upstairs.”
Merriman said he initially planned to construct the entire battlefield on a folding table but quickly realized he would need to expand his ambitions.
“I underestimated the scale,” he said. “Once I got to 50,000, we had to move the washer and dryer. By 100,000, I was basically building Gettysburg in the entire basement.”
The project has also caused some logistical difficulties for the family. Denise reportedly has been unable to park in the garage since March, while several bedrooms have been converted into temporary staging areas for Union and Confederate forces.
Despite the enormous undertaking, Merriman describes the project as “a respectful tribute to American history.”
Denise sees it differently.
“I see it as an unprovoked act of war against my personal brand,” she said.
Merriman said the project has also given him a newfound appreciation for the men who fought at Gettysburg.
“People talk about how exhausting the battle must have been,” he said. “Try moving 165,000 Stanley cups through a two-car garage.”
At press time, Merriman was reportedly working on a second diorama depicting the signing of the Declaration of Independence, entirely in Stanley straw toppers.
