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 Thomas Francis Meagher Sculpture - Helena, MT Posted by:  T0SHEA
N 46° 35.178 W 112° 01.106
12T E 421977 N 5159696
Dedicated on July 4 1905, the Thomas Meagher Statue stands tall at the front of the Montana State Capitol Building, the largest and most distinctive sculpture on the grounds of the capitol campus.
Waymark Code: WMWKBA
Location: Montana, United States
Date Posted: 09/14/2017
Views: 3
A contributing object to the Montana State Capitol Campus Historic District, the Thomas Meagher Statue, by Charles J. Mulligan of Chicago, is a life sized bronze sculpture of former territorial governor Thomas Francis Meagher astride his steed, depicted as a Union soldier of the Civil War. The sculpture, cast in 1905 by the American Bronze Foundry of Chicago, Illinois, stands atop a large granite stele of at least eight feet in height. Mounted around the stele are several bronze plaques containing quotations from Meagher, as well as biographical homages to him.
Born in Waterford, Ireland in 1823, Meagher became a leading figure in the Irish independence movement of the early 19th century. Meagher was later tried for treason as an Irish patriot and banished to the island of Tasmania off the coast of Australia. Meagher would later escape and flee to New York where he gained prominence as a journalist and lawyer. When the American Civil War erupted in 1861, Meagher formed a company of 145 men of Irish descent, called the 69th Regiment, to fight for the Union. Abraham Lincoln would go on to appoint Meagher the commanding general of “Irish Brigade.”
Meagher’s fame and military record later provoked President Andrew Johnson to appoint him Secretary of the Montana Territory in 1865. Eventually, he became the Acting Territorial Governor — a position he held from September of 1865 to July 1867.
Unfortunately, Meagher’s colorful life came to an abrupt and mysterious end in the waters of the Missouri River at Fort Benton. On the night of July 1, 1867, Meagher mysteriously disappeared from a boat. Whether he fell off or was thrown from the boat was never determined. But his body was never recovered.
From the Helena Independent Record
TITLE: Thomas Francis Meagher
ARTIST(S): Charles J. Mulligan
DATE: July 4 1905
MEDIUM: Bronze, Granite
CONTROL NUMBER: IAS MT000037
Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link]
PHYSICAL LOCATION:
1301 East Sixth Avenue
Helena, MT United States
59601
DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH:
None noted
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date of your visit, your impressions of the sculpture, and at least ONE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH. Add any additional information you may have, particularly any personal observations about the condition of the sculpture.
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