In 1950, the Boy Scouts of America instituted a project called Crusade to Strengthen the Arm of Liberty, which aimed to place replicas of the Statue of Liberty across the country.
The statues were named Little Sisters of Liberty. They would celebrate the 40th anniversary of Scouting by serving as a visible “pledge of everlasting fidelity and loyalty” to America.
About 200 of the 8-foot-tall, copper-clad replicas were erected across the country. About 100 of the statues, including one on Main Street in Columbus, have survived.
On Monday, a similarly sized replica of the Statue of Liberty will be dedicated on the Kitty Dill walkway in West Point. Almost 66 years after she first graced Main Street, Columbus’ Little Sister of Liberty will herself have a sister in West Point.
The West Point statue fulfills a long-time wish of former West Point Mayor Kenny Dill to have a replica of the Statue of Liberty on the Kitty Dill walkway, which is along the abandoned GM&O Railroad bed running through town.
About a year ago, a family in Louisville had a large replica of the Statue of Liberty in their yard. They were moving and wanted to sell the replica. Mayor Dill read about it, and the West Point Community Foundation bought it to present to the city.
Keith Blair was contacted at the Columbus marble works, and a large marble base was made upon which the statue was placed on Friday.
It will be dedicated at 10 a.m. tomorrow at the walkway’s Church Hill Road crossing.
Columbus’ Little Sister was dedicated on Dec. 7, 1950. The statues cost $350 each, and the Main Street statue was given by Irvine Weitzenhoffer and T.M. McGahey. In light of the West Point statue having been purchased in Louisville, it is interesting that the Columbus statue was unveiled and formally presented to the city on behalf of the Pushmataha Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America by Eagle Scout Fraser Triplett of Louisville.
The dedication address was given by Columbus attorney Roger Landrum. Sounding much like a modern political candidate, Landrum said; “There is a bewilderment among the American people today as they face seemingly insurmountable problems without intelligent national leadership.”
Of the 200 original statues, some are gone and many are in poor condition and in need of repair or restoration. The Boy Scouts have started a national campaign to locate and restore these symbols of freedom and America.
Columbus’ Little Sister of Liberty is in need of some restoration work after having watched over Main Street for 65 years. Columbus Scout Eli Box has stepped forward and taken that project on as his Eagle Scout project.
The Main Street Little Sister of Liberty continues to stand as a visible symbol of liberty in Columbus, and she now has a sibling in West Point.
Rufus Ward is a local historian. Email your questions about local history to him at [email protected].
Rufus Ward is a Columbus native a local historian. E-mail your questions about local history to Rufus at [email protected].
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