
Statue of Liberty - Sioux Falls, SD
N 43° 31.922 W 096° 43.383
14T E 683983 N 4822417
A gift from France to celebrate republicanism, the Statue of Liberty has been an inspiration to millions of immigrants to the United States.
In 1943, during the darkest days of World War II, McKennan Park in Sioux Falls, SD received a wood replica of the Statue of Liberty.
Waymark Code: WMCD6
Location: South Dakota, United States
Date Posted: 05/11/2006
Views: 93
A gift from France to celebrate republicanism, the Statue of Liberty has been an inspiration to millions of immigrants to the United States. In 1865, French republican Édouard de Laboulaye conceived the idea of a giant statue to honor the two nations' commitment to liberty and formed the French-American Union to raise money for it. Eventually, France provided $400,000 for the 151-foot statue, and a fund-raising drive in the United States netted $270,000 for the 89-foot pedestal.
Sculptor Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi combined elements of the Egyptian pyramids he admired with his mother's face to serve as a model for the statue, which he finished early in 1884. It was shipped across the Atlantic in 214 crates and was reassembled on a pedestal designed by Gen. Charles Stone and a group of engineers. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 1886, on Bedloe's Island, now Liberty Island, in New York Harbor near Ellis Island, the arrival point for European immigrants. Catching sight of it for the first time was a moving experience for millions who crossed the Atlantic by ship.
In 1943, during the darkest days of World War II, McKennan Park received a wood replica of the Statue of Liberty. It was said by the owner who donated it, Charles A. Sells, that it was carved as a model by Bartholdi. The statue was dedicated on Sunday evening, August 1, 1943. The statue, which had previously been owned by Sioux Falls pioneer Charles A. Sells, was presented to Park Board chairman R. B. Meldrum during the ceremonies. The Sioux Falls Garden Club raised the money to purchase the statue. The statue was placed at the south end of the sunken garden on a rock pedestal.
The old wooden Statue of Liberty had been vandalized in the 1960s and removed by the City. But, the neighbors remembered it as a focal point for the park and wanted a new one put back in the park. The original base for the statue was still in place, but it looked out of place with nothing on it.
This bronze replica was created by sculptor Serguel Lourov, employed by Tivolitoo, Inc., from St. Paul, Minnesota. The statue is based on the original statue by Frederic Auguste Bartholdi.
Where is original located?: New York Harbor
 Where is this replica located?: Sioux Falls, SD
 Who created the original?: Frederic A. Bartholdi
 Internet Link about Original: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statue_of_Liberty
 Year Original was Created (approx. ok): Dedicated in 1886

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Visit Instructions:
Post at least one photo of the replica.