Photos: Stories behind the sculptures
CSI Media staff | July 9, 2015
"The Three Graces," located on Wrigley Drive, were willed to the city of Lake Geneva by wealthy resident Reinette McCrea. Terry Mayer photo
This statue of Andy Gump, a comic strip character popular during the last century, is located in Flatiron Park in Lake Geneva. Andy Gump's creator Sidney Smith lived in Lake Geneva. Terry Mayer photo
Former Williams Bay resident Douglas Henderson created this Potawatomi woman. The work commemorates the wife of Chief Big Foot. The statue is located in Williams Bay. Terry Mayer photo
Fontana sculptor Jay Brost's "One Last Glance" statue of Chief Big Foot holding a canoe paddle stands in front of Big Foot High School in Walworth. Terry Mayer photo
The towering 20-foot high Romeo the elephant and 6-foot tall clown representing Lou Jacobs can be found in downtown Delavan. F.A.S.T. Corp. of Sparta made the fiberglass statues, erected in 1985, which celebrate the city's circus-related history. Terry Mayer photo
The Civil War Monument by stone mason John Bossi stands in Delavan's Spring Grove Cemetery. Terry Mayer photo
The statue of St. Joseph holding a baby, installed around 1970, is located in the Wandawega Grotto at Camp Wandawega in Sugar Creek Township. Terry Mayer photo
“We preserve the past, whether it be a public sculpture, a county courthouse or a Native American burial mound because the past helps to inform our present,” says Jim Draeger. “Historic sculptures commemorate community history or national events, the accomplishments of citizens or celebrate their aspirations.”
Draeger is a historic preservation officer and director of outreach with the Wisconsin Historical Society.
“They are historical markers of moments that our ancestors believed should not be forgotten,” he added. “Saving a sculpture is a statement that the traditions and values of the past matter.”
Walworth County fits that description beautifully with its dozens of public sculptures and the stories behind them.
See a photo gallery of more Walworth County statues.
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