Benito Juarez - Plaza of the Americas, Chicago, IL
Posted by: 
adgorn
N 41° 53.412 W 087° 37.494
16T E 448158 N 4637774
Towering figure of the great Mexican hero Benito Juarez, tucked into the Plaza of the Americas, just off Michigan Avenue over Hubbard Street between the Wrigley Building and the Realtor Building.
Waymark Code: WM7Y6C
Location: Illinois, United States
Date Posted: 12/21/2009
Views: 8
Benito Juarez [1806-1872] was known as the builder of modern Mexico. He was a Zapotec Amerindian who served five terms as president of Mexico. He helped defend Mexico against the French occupation beginning in 1862, eventually overthrowing the Empire headed by Maximilian of Habsburg and restoring the Republic.
A chronology of the location from research I did -
1) A marker at the east end of the plaza says:
“Plaza of the Americas
Dedicated by
His Excellency Gonzalo J. Facio
Chairman of the Organization of American States
April 20, 1963
2) Excerpted from the Chicago Tribune article dated May 16, 1965 entitled ”Opening rites set Thursday for ‘Plaza of the Americas’”
Built by private enterprise, a joint undertaking of the Wrigley Company to the south and the (former) Apollo Savings and Loan (to the north) at a cost of $250,000. It is lined by the flags of the Organization of American States.
So it looks like the Plaza was dedicated well prior to being completed.
3) On February 15, 1977, a small bust of Benito Juarez was donated by Jose Lopez Portillo, president of Mexico, to the people of Chicago and Michael A. Bilandic,mayor and placed in the Plaza.
This bust is featured in the Smithsonian Art Inventory site for this location. See:
(
visit link)
At the time of this 1992 survey, the bust looked in need of restoration, probably due to the effects of the harsh Chicago weather and possibly also vandalism. So that probably gave rise to it being replaced.
4) The current statue was dedicated here in February 1999. It weighs 5 tons and is about 16 feet tall. According to several sources, the sculptor was Julian Martinez. From a Chicago Tribune article dated Feb 23, 1999 entitled “Statue Of Mexican Hero Juarez Is Unveiled,” the consul general of Mexico in Chicago, Heriberto M. Galindo, presented the statue of the former Mexican president from the Mexican government to the city of Chicago.
I visited the Plaza on a rainy fall day, not the best time to enjoy this location.