Statues serve a variety of purposes for us, but more often than not, I notice statues in the center of our public places that serve as monuments or reminders of things past, people lost, or important figures in society.
Most importantly, if you think of public places that you visit, the sculptures and statues are often the things you take pictures of. The importance of the natural landscape with our manmade structures makes a park more than just green grass. The statues often serve as our memento from the area. I can remember even visiting Italy that the first thing I did in most piazzas was to take a photo of the statue, obelisk, or fountain that served as the rallying point in the plaza. It was the grounding point and the thing that provided a sense of place for us as humans.
It is easy to get lost in our urban landscapes, but statues and public spaces are a major piece of the urban picture to provide balance and an anchor. Today, I ventured around Detroit to find a variety of statues. Some were easy to see, others were fairly difficult. I've done my best to capture why the statue exists.
The first statue is 'The Spirit of Detroit.' Most people are familiar with this statue as it is situated in front of the municipal center on Woodward and Jefferson at the heart of the city. It also serves as the unofficial symbol for the city and is often decorated with a jersey if one of the Detroit teams wins a title. Sadly, its been naked for a few years now.
Next is naturally the Joe Louis Fist on Jefferson Boulevard at Hart Plaza. This is right up there with 'The Spirit' in terms of recognition and symbolism. However, this fist also has caused great controversy in the city since it was erected in 1987. Many people feel that it doesn't convey the true spirit of what Joe Louis meant to Detroit. From an outsiders perspective, the fist seems to represent Detroit's resiliency. In that sense, I'm okay with it.
This is Joe Louis as the boxer and this statue can be found inside Cobo Hall at the main entrance. I couldn't find much information about this statue, other than it was dedicated in late 1987, according to the plaque on the statue. I do know that many people dissatisfied with the fist prefer this statue just down the road.
This is the Detroit side of the International Underground Railroad Memorial. This sits right on the Riverwalk at Hart Plaza and faces Windsor. The memorial is actually a two part memorial with the other part residing in Canada. As it turns out, Detroit was one of the top gateways for leaving the country because of its proximity to Canada. This memorial was dedicated in 2001.
This is the Michigan Soldiers and Sailors Monument that sits in Campus Martius Park. This statue is pretty old. It was actually commissioned to honor the Michigan soldiers who died in the Civil War and was dedicated in 1872. On the front side which you can view in the picture there is actually a time capsule that was buried in 2004, when Campus Martius Park was dedicated. The capsule is to be opened in 2014. The other piece I found interesting about this monument is that it has been moved from its original location when the park was designed. Old photos of Detroit show the monument in the middle of a chaotic traffic pattern, which is both cool and slightly terrifying.
This was the first little monument that is not entirely familiar and one that I've walked past numerous times without noticing. It is the John Judson Bagley Memorial Fountain which was built in 1887. It resides now on Cadillac Square just east of Campus Martius. Apparently, it used to be on Campus Martius. It also served as Detroit's first public drinking fountain. No water was running today, and I assume it has been disconnected from the water supply.
This is the Russell Alger Memorial Fountain in Grand Circus Park. If you see behind it, it is very near Comerica Park and thus home to many panhandlers these days. The statue itself is not Russell Alger, but a roman figure that is supposed to symbolize the State of Michigan. I don't see it. At any rate, Russell Alger was a longtime Detroiter and Michigan resident who actually served as Governor of the state, Secretary of War for President McKinley and US Senator for a time before he died in office. There is an Alger County in Michigan way up in the U.P. For any birthers out there, Russell Alger is not a native Michigander as he was born in Ohio, but thanks to his contributions, I guess he can keep the statue.
On the left side, William Maybury, former mayor of Detroit. On the right side, Hazen Pingree, former mayor of Detroit and Michigan governor. These two adorn each side of Woodward in Grand Circus Park and are passed by thousands of tigers fans on a regular basis without much notice. What's so fun about these two is that they were political rivals back in the day and really despised each other. Now they sit and stare at each other every single day, laughing as pigeons drop stool on the others' face. They both seem like pretty tough politicians, but perhaps my favorite fact I found was that Hazen Pingree threw a new year's party in the Michigan House on December 31, 1899 which was attended by future president Teddy Roosevelt. Later, Pingree died while on safari with Roosevelt in Africa. I can only assume this guy was so awesome that he was mauled by a lion while fighting off a cheetah, but sadly it was peritonitis, an inflammation of the inner wall of his abdomen.
No city is complete without a statue of Abraham Lincoln. Sixteenth President, guy that kept the country together during the Civil War, on a five dollar bill and pennies, yeah, that guy. Turns out this statue which is now downtown in front of the Detroit library behind the old Hudson's Building was originally at the Lincoln plant in west Detroit starting in 1919. After the plant closed, the city obtained the statue and moved it downtown.
Up above on the left is a small scale replica of the state capitol building that was in Detroit when Michigan became a state back in the 1820s. On the right is our first governor, Stephens T. Mason. Turns out that this guy was 19 when he was appointed territorial governor of Michigan. Besides being the first governor, he helped guide Michigan through the Toledo War, the war that we had with Ohio over the rights to Toledo. Ohio 'won' in getting Toledo, but in exchange we received the entire Upper Peninsula. With the conflict behind us, we were approved for statehood and Stephens T. Mason became governor of the state. His statue resides in Capitol Park, along with the building replica in Detroit.
This is Alexander Macomb, General during the War of 1812. He was from a wealthy family here in Detroit that owned most of Macomb County, Grosse Ile, and Belle Isle. And they were friends with John Jacob Astor. This statue was actually designed by the same guy that did Mayor Maybury's statue up at Grand Circus Park. General Macomb stands at Washington Boulevard and Michigan Avenue, right outside the Cadillac Book Westin Hotel.
This is General Casimir Pulaski. Never heard of him? Me either. He stands across Michigan Avenue from General Macomb, but from what I could tell they aren't associated with one another. According to the plaque on the statue this General died in Savannah, Georgia in 1779 during the American Revolution. This statue was dedicated in September 1960 on behalf of Americans with Polish descent. I imagine Detroit's large Polish population probably had something to do with this.
I know Detroit's Polish population had something to do with this statue of General Thaddeus Kosiuszko. The General is another Polish hero of the Revolutionary War and apparently fought with General Washington. His statue was a gift from Krakow, Poland and commissioned during the American Bicentennial. The statue was dedicated in August of 1978 and sits in its original location at Michigan Avenue and Third Street just outside the MGM Grand Casino. Sadly, what I think was the most impressive statue is hidden on the edge of downtown in a difficult location to walk to.
Did somebody say George Washington? Yes, we have one of those too. This is definitely a statue that most people probably miss as he sits in front of the Mariner's Church on Jefferson right at the entrance to the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. Interesting to note that this statue of Washington has him with his masonic symbols across his waist.
The final statue I found was actually a bust dedicated by the Italians of Detroit of Christopher Columbus. I intentionally allowed the tree branch to be in front of his face so as to hide the shame of getting lost at sea, wiping out an indigenous people, and then getting a holiday for it. Sorry Italians of Detroit, it is a very nice bust. If you'd like to see it, it is on Randolph Street at Jefferson facing the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.
There are other statues hidden throughout downtown Detroit and many more scattered throughout the city. And its possible one day soon that a Robocop statue with be erected to guard the city from unwanted criminals.
