Update: Lincoln Statue Brings $9,000

Back on July 7, I posted a story about an auction coming up in southeastern Ohio in which 62 acres of land plus various statues of U.S. presidents and military leaders were going to be sold.

The auction was held on Saturday July 19, in Frazeysburg, Ohio. The sandstone statue of Abraham Lincoln brought an impressive $9,000, but the most expensive statue (of U.S. Grant) went for a cool $35,000! The same gentleman purchased those two statutes, plus a statue of James B. McPherson (a Union Civil War general) for another $8,500. They are destined for the purchasers' property in Oxford, Ohio.

This article from the Coshocton Tribune (Ohio) contains more details about the auction turnout and results.

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Buy Your Own Statue Of Lincoln

Would you like to buy your own statue of Old Abe? Here is your chance. On July 19, 2008, an auction of statues of presidents and other Americans is being held in the hamlet of Frazeysburg, Ohio in the southeastern portion of the state.

According to the Coshocton Tribune (Ohio), the statues are part of the Baughman Memorial Park, which will also be auctioned off (about 62 acres). The statues, including that of Mr. Lincoln, were sculpted by a Mr. Brice Baughman between the late 1800's and 1930. Mr. Baughman's hobby was carving in sandstone, the bulk of which came from the property.

The statues are in various states of repair. This link provides more information about the auction, including photos and a map of the property, along with photos of the other statues up for auction. Other presidents represented by the statues include William McKinley, Warren Harding, and George Washington. Famous military figures carved in stone include Grant and Sherman.

I cannot begin to imagine what these statues might bring at auction. I especially cannot imagine what it would take to haul one of these statues and install it on your own property.

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What Happened To The Lincoln Statue??

What happened to this beautiful monument dedicated to Abraham Lincoln on July 4, 1909 in Scranton, Pennsylvania? Today, all traces of this 16-foot high monument have vanished. And no one living seems to know why it's gone or where it went.

Dedicated at the Nay Aug Park in Scranton in the centennial year of Lincoln's birth, the monument was obviously beautifully carved and contained an impressive looking bust of Lincoln at the top. There were bronze lions and eagles around the base of the structure as well. All in all, it might have been one of the most beautiful monuments ever erected to Lincoln.

This article from the Associated Press tells the story of the monument and relates how another photo from the dedication day exists showing men, women, and children surrounding it. A local postcard collector found this real photo card I've shown in the above image, but he doesn't remember the statue at all while swimming at the park in Scranton as a boy in the 1930's and 1940's. Obviously, the monument wasn't in place at the park then for even 30 or 40 years.

Historians in Scranton and the surrounding areas are completely baffled. No documentation has been found relating what happened to the statue. It's as if this monument has vanished into thin air. Let's hope that the case of the missing Abe might be solved in time for the bicentennial of his birth next year.

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New Statue Destined For President Lincoln's Cottage

Here is a clay and plaster model of a new statue which will be installed at President Lincoln's Cottage in Washington, D.C. This model is 3 percent larger than life to allow for settling in the bronze-casting process for the actual statue.

The sculptors are Stuart Williamson and Jiwoong Cheh, working for the design shop StudioIES in Brooklyn, New York. The statue differs from so many others of Abe in that this one actually shows him with a slight smile, as if Lincoln is greeting a valued friend or relative upon arrival at his summer home. It looks like it's going to be beautiful.

The story of the statue may be found here in The New York Times. President Lincoln's Cottage, the former Soldiers' Home, in Washington, D.C. has recently reopened after an extensive restoration. It is thought by historians that this mansion was where Lincoln wrote The Emancipation Proclamation. Lincoln used it as a refuge from the oppressive heat of the city and to escape the burdens of the White House. It was the Camp David of the day. An interesting article here, also from the Times, discusses the history and restoration efforts of the Cottage.

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Idaho Lincoln Statue Moving To State Capitol

From the Spokane (Washington) Spokesman-Review comes an interesting story about how a statue of Abraham Lincoln might be the oldest such statue of Lincoln in the American west. The statue, dating from 1915, is going to be moved from the Idaho State Veterans Home in Boise to a much more prominent location on the grounds of the state capitol there. The statue will be re-dedicated at the capitol on the 200th anniversary of Lincoln's birth, February 12, 2009.

The statue is life-sized (6 feet 4 inches) and was dedicated on February 12, 1915. It is one of seven Lincoln statues sculpted by a fellow Ohioan, Alphonso Pelzer, and was presented to the state of Idaho by the Ladies of the Grand Army Of The Republic of Idaho.

The statue has long suffered from neglect, primarily affecting the sandstone pedestal. A penny drive is going to be held in Idaho public schools in order to raise money to pay for the restoration and move of the statue. Once restored and moved, the statue will be featured along a prominent lane by the state capitol building.

According to several books dedicated to documenting public statues and monuments to Lincoln, this statue is the oldest one in the American west. A statue of Lincoln had been erected in San Francisco in 1866, but it was destroyed in the great earthquake and fire of 1906.

Lincoln signed the bill creating the Idaho territory in 1863 and also helped to choose the name of the territory. In addition, he appointed the first governor of the territory.

Congratulations to the state of Idaho for taking the steps in honoring Old Abe's memory.

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Lincoln Statue Decapitated For Fifth Time

Today's Mail Tribune from Medford, Oregon brings the sad news that for the fifth time, the Abe Lincoln statue in Lithia Park in Ashland, Oregon has had its head cut off. Local officials are distressed, because the statue had only recently been repaired and rededicated after the 2005 decapitation. Other such acts of vandalism occurred in 1958, 1967, and 1973.

Damage is estimated now to be at $1,200. Park officials do have a spare Abe head, but have no idea if they will restore the statue now or not. A local merchant is suggesting that a security camera be focused on the statue from now on. Police in Oregon currently have no suspects. Sorry for the lack of photos.

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Statues Of Old Abe Are Rejected

From the April 19, 2008 edition of the Lincoln Courier (Lincoln, Illinois) newspaper comes a story about how donated statues of Old Abe have been rejected for display in the local courthouse.

Seems that Mr. Lester Van Bibber and his wife commissioned two larger-than-life statues of Abe out of solid granite and wanted to donate them to the tourism bureau of Logan County, Illinois. One statue was meant to be displayed on the third floor of the Logan County courthouse, but when it was discovered that each 6'6" statue weighs 1200 pounds, it was rejected as being too heavy. Another statue was supposed to be donated to the Postville Courthouse State Historic Site, a replica of the courthouse where Lincoln practiced law. But that offer was rejected by the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

The Van Bibbers are extremely disappointed and blame officials for rejecting the statues. After seeing the photo of the one statue, I'd have to say I don't blame the officials. It bears about as much resemblance to Lincoln as a bad Lincoln impersonator does. Seems to me that the money would have much better spent establishing funds for scholarships or perhaps for an interpretive exhibit about Lincoln's work within Logan County.

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