Spanish-American War Soldier - Columbus, OH
N 39° 57.658 W 082° 59.975
17S E 329212 N 4425339
This statue, titled the Spirit of '98, is a Spanish-American War Memorial and one of two armed men guarding the west entry of the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus, Ohio.
Waymark Code: WMAK23
Location: Ohio, United States
Date Posted: 01/23/2011
Views: 14
This memorial occupies a prime location in Capitol Square at the west entrance to the beautiful Ohio Statehouse. It shares guard duties with a statue of a World War I doughboy.
The Smithsonian Art Inventory describes the statue as follows:
"A figure, cast in bronze with self base, mounted on a square stone base. Bronze plaques are inset on three sides of the base. The sculpture and plaques are patinated a red-brown color, with bright metal highlights."
The following description is from the Touring Ohio website:
"The Spirit of 98 by [F.I.] Jirouch was erected in 1928 and honors the 20th anniversary of the Spanish American War, a brief conflict that launched the US as world power and saw the country gain not only territory but prestige.
The inscription reads:
The Spirit of '98
Erected by the State of Ohio to the honor and memory of the Ohio Veterans of the Spanish-American War Philippine insurrection and the China Relief Expedition.
1898 1902
Dedicated June 23, 1928
"The cause which triumphed through their valor will live""
The following is from The People’s Art Collection pdf file:
"The Spirit of ‘98’ Memorial Statue
This memorial is a nine-foot tall picture of a soldier holding a rifle. The Spirit of ‘98 was made by Frank Luis Jirouch in 1927-8. The statue memorializes the men of Ohio who fought and died for the United States in both the Spanish-American War (1898) and the Mexican incident at Vera Cruz when the United States Marines occupied the city in April through November of 1914."