The Doughboy - Woody Wilson Mem. Park - Carney, OK
Posted by: 
hamquilter
N 35° 48.496 W 097° 00.703
14S E 679643 N 3964506
This concrete sculpture created in 1940 honors the veterans of World War I.
Waymark Code: WMAPTN
Location: Oklahoma, United States
Date Posted: 02/08/2011
Views: 5
In the 300 block of S. Main Street in Carney, in Woody Wilson Memorial Park, stands a life sized concrete sculpture on a concrete base embedded with rocks. It depicts a World War I soldier - a "Dough Boy." The soldier stands at attention with his rifle in front of him, both hands around the barrel and the butt on the ground.
In the rock base is an inscription reading: "In memory / 1917 & 1918 / of our / boys." The town has erected a metal plaque attached to a granite block that reads: "Created by Claude Fisher, a resident of Carney, OK / Completed in 1940 / In honor of the brave troops of WWI who were known as the Dough Boys."
I had the privilege of speaking with Claude Fisher's son who told me how his father went about making the sculpture. It was Winter and his auto repair business was slow, so he had time to work on this sculpture. He first made a framework or skeleton using old metal car parts to form the structure of the legs, trunk, arms and head. Unlike working with wood or stone to cut away the unwanted parts, he had to build this from the inside out. Using the paper sacks that the cement came in, he gently formed a leg, and held it in place with wire. Then he would pour in the concrete and let it partially set. The trick was knowing when the concrete was set "enough" but not "too much" so he could begin sculpting to form the finished Doughboy. This is truly a work of art, fashioned by a man with amazing talent.
Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: None
Figure Type: Human
Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Claude Fisher
Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: 1940
Materials used: Concrete
Location: Woody Wilson Mem. Park, Carney, OK
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