2 / OutdoorIllinois July 2011

Lowden State Park in Ore-gon, Illinois, is home to oneof the greatest feats of artis-tic and industrial achieve-ment. This year, the Indian

statue celebrates its 100th year of over-looking the Rock River Valley. Standingproud at nearly 50 feet tall atop a 250-foot bluff, the statue has endured it all.Withstanding wind, drought, earth-quakes, blizzards and downpours, the

Weathering the

Story and Photos ByRachel Wolfe

A testament to the ages, Lorado Taft’s sculpture continues to “ope

iconic Indian sculpture, often referred toas Black Hawk or The Eternal Indian, hasbecome more than a landmark; it hasbecome a testament to the will of manand the majesty of nature.The Indian statue stands as a symbol

for the spirit of the Native Americansand the appreciation of natural beauty.Created by Lorado Taft, a prominentsculptor during the late 1800s and early1900s, the statue was intended as amonument to the beauty of the land

and the history itholds. Taft notonly was a sculp-tor but also anadamant educatorof the beauty inthe natural world.His passion toshare his apprecia-

tion for daily life and his artistic visionswith the world began in his downtownstudio, in Chicago’s Fine Art Building.

Lorado Taft

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valley. After completing the PublicLibrary project, Taft wanted to buildsomething to honor the indomitablespirit of Native Americans. He wantedto share the story of the land, and thelegacy of the American Indian. Taftsketched a form that would representthe code of honor the natives lived by,to protect and cherish the land with thebelief anything of real value can neverbe taken. The Indian statue standstoday, not just as a visual representationof all Native Americans, but as the fig-urehead Taft hoped would symbolizethe ideals of times past and future.Ground breaking took place in 1909

and Taft’s vision was to construct thestatue out of concrete, making him thefirst to use the material as an artisticmedium. Construction of the concretesculpture was funded by generous con-tributions from J.P. Beck, Wallace Heck-man and land donated by Frank Low-den. In 1907, Taft formed a partnershipwith John Prasuhn, whose concreteworking experience and engineeringexpertise would soon be put to thetest. An earthquake and windstormruined the beginnings of the statue. Notto be discouraged, Taft and Prasuhndecided to reinforce the piece-moldtechnique with steel beams. In additionto the steel and concrete, a stronger,18-foot base was poured, extending 12feet below ground and 6 feet above.

Construction of the statue itselfdidn’t start until 1910. The neededtechnology was scarce in those days.Two crews of 14 men each were hiredto work at $5 an hour and for 12-hourshifts. Facing brutal seasonal changes,the men persevered, pumping 700gallons of water an hour. The wood-heated water was sent up the 220-footbluff where the concrete was mixed atthe base of the statue.

Wind

Lorado Taft’s Eternal Indian

statue has been an iconic

Rock River landmark since

its July 1, 1911 dedication.

Standing 50 feet tall atop

a 250-foot bluff, the statue is

visible from several vantage points

along the Rock River.

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July 2011 OutdoorIllinois / 3

Employing new technologies to

construct the statue, Lorado Taft

became the first artist to use

concrete as a sculpture medium.

During the warmer months, Taft andhis fellow artists would travel to Ore-gon to find reprieve from the city heatand inspiration for their work. Theopen spaces of the river valley relievedthe artists of the stress of city life andbecame a haven for creativity. TheEagle’s Nest was then created, and Taftmade Oregon his second home.Having made a name for himself as a

sculptor in Chicago, Taft was deter-mined to leave his mark on the river

4 / OutdoorIllinois July 2011

Since its dedication, the statue hascontinued to weather the winds oftime, standing watch over technicalrevolutions and social change. The Indi-an statue has endured several earth-quakes, the most recent having reacheda magnitude of 4.0 on Feb. 10, 2010.Minimal restoration and repairs havebeen needed over the years. The mostnotable repairs coincided with the 75thanniversary of the statue when recog-nizable chalk-like, white trails andspalling caused by the calcification ofminerals were repaired with an epoxycompound, filling the cracks andspaces in drilled holes. At that time, acanvas rubber mold was taken of thechest and arms for foreseeable futurerestoration efforts. The statue’simproved appearance was unveiled tothe public in 1991.The statue continues to inspire oth-

ers, including being entered in theNational Register of Historic Places onNov. 5, 2009, and inclusion in theMarch 2010 mural for the LincolnHighway Coalition project at 103 W.Washington, Oregon, Illinois. The fig-ure proudly stands as a figurehead tothe Lowden State Park and Lorado TaftField Campus, which offer seasonal

recreation for residents and travelers,and provides outdoor educationthrough Northern Illinois University.One of the original 49-inch models ofthe statue still stands in the OregonPublic Library today. Currently, theState of Illinois is heading the collec-tion of funds for repair and mainte-nance to carry the statue into its sec-ond century.The Indian statue was erected over a

decade of planning, engineering andhard work. Remains of the worksite arescarce today, but it’s easy to see theeffort and passion that went into creat-ing the first concrete sculpture and sec-ond-largest figure of its kind. As aguardian of the land with a strong his-torical significance, the commitment ofthe surrounding community reaches toall people across the nation.Taft’s mission help others “open

eyes to the awe” successfully joinedpeople together to share in the glory ofhis artistic visions. Standing togetherwith the land, history and Lorado Taft,we have a monument to withstand thewinds of time and stand as a true testa-ment not only to the Native Americans,but also to the strength of the humanspirit.

Completion of the statue requiredmore than 65,000 gallons of water, 412barrels of raw Portland cement, twotons of twisted steel rebar, 20 tons ofred granite screenings (adding consider-able weight to the concrete) and 200yards of burlap. The finished Indian stat-ue and base weigh in around 100 tons.Dedication of the monumental stat-

ue took place on July 1, 1911. On ascorching hot day, speakers, poets andartists gathered at The Eagles NestColony to honor the statue as a symbolof remembrance to the natives thatwalked the land before us. Taft hopedthe unveiling would help heal oldwounds and “conceive a future rich inhope for acceptance of our neighbors.”

The Lowden State Park statue was

entered into the National Register

of Historic Places on Nov. 5, 2009.

In addition to drawing visitors

interested in the statue, Lowden

State Park is a popular picnic

and camping destination.

Rachel Wolfe is a freelance writer resid-

ing in Oregon, Illinois.

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