Indian Madonna - Lincoln, IL - Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures on Waymarking.com

From the Smithsonian database:
Dimensions: Sculpture: approx. 38 in. x 28 in. x 2 ft.; Base: approx. 3 ft. x 32 in. x 3 ft. 6 in.
Description: A Native American woman sitting on her knees with a papoose on her back. She is wrapped in a blanket and holds a small jug in each hand.

Was sculpted from Tennessee Pink Marble by Charles Mulligan. The inscription reads "A GIFT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE PEOPLE." Also known as the Indian Maiden, it now sits facing the Arcade on Pulaski Street.

From the Finding Lincoln Illinois - The Logan County Courthouse, Past and Present site: (visit link)
"On October 26, 1906, a statue of an Indian maiden [now referred to as Indian mother] and her child was dedicated through the efforts of the Lincoln Woman's Club. Dooley's The Namesake Town also credits the "school children of Logan County". This statue was created by Charles Mulligan, who designed the Illinois memorial at Vicksburg. The Indian mother statue is fashioned from Tennessee pink marble, the kind of stone that also lines the corridor walls of the Courthouse. The pink tint of the stone is noticeable.

The sculpture was conceived to be "functional and useful as a fountain for people. . . and additionally so with a lower trough for pets. It was educational, as the Indian maiden was intended to remind us we are a nation of many people, including the Indians who were here first. Additionally, the statue commemorates Abraham Lincoln with the inscription "of the people, by the people, for the people. . . ." (lincolndailynews.com, October 29, 2001).

In 2001, Lincolnites funded the renovation of the statue by David Seagraves. His work included restoration of the right hand and water jug that had been damaged in the 1940s.

The statue was originally placed on the west lawn. After the renovation, the statue was relocated to the south lawn and rededicated on October 26, 2001, exactly 95 years after its original dedication. This statue stands as a magnificent symbol of civic pride."

The statue is very beautiful and represents something out of America's now very distant past.

TITLE: Indian Madonna ARTIST(S): incorrectly listed as Taft, Lorado Zadoc - s/b Charles Mulligan DATE: Dedicated Oct. 1906. MEDIUM: Stone on a concrete base. CONTROL NUMBER: IAS IL000307 Direct Link to the Individual Listing in the Smithsonian Art Inventory: [Web Link] PHYSICAL LOCATION: Located Town square, Pulaski Street, south of the courthouse, Lincoln, Illinois 62656 DIFFERENCES NOTED BETWEEN THE INVENTORY LISTING AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS AND RESEARCH: The name now is better know as Indian Mother. Error in sculptor name - It was not sculpted by Lorado Taft but by Charles Mulligan, one of Taft's students. Mulligan was a Chicago area sculptor and a number of his works that grace the area are waymarked. Better description of medium would be Tennessee Pink Marble. Treatment has been performed and the condition is now excellent.

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