Harman Patil (Editor)

Strengthen the Arm of Liberty

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Strengthen the Arm of Liberty httpsuploadwikimediaorgwikipediacommonsthu

Chronicles of 08 strengthen the arm of liberty


Strengthen the Arm of Liberty was the Boy Scouts of America's theme for the organization's fortieth anniversary celebration in 1950. The campaign was inaugurated in February with a dramatic ceremony held at the base of the Statue of Liberty. Approximately 200 BSA Statue of Liberty replicas were installed across the United States.

Contents

BSA Statue of Liberty replicas

Hundreds of smaller replicas of the Statue of Liberty have been created worldwide. The classical appearance (Roman stola, sandals, facial expression) derives from Libertas, ancient Rome's goddess of freedom from slavery, oppression, and tyranny. Her raised right foot is on the move. This symbol of Liberty and Freedom is not standing still or at attention in the harbor, it is moving forward, as her left foot tramples broken shackles at her feet, in symbolism of the United States' wish to be free from oppression and tyranny.

Manufacture

Between 1949 and 1952, approximately two hundred 100-inch (2.5 m) replicas of the statue, made of stamped copper, were purchased by Boy Scout troops and donated in 39 states in the U.S. and several of its possessions and territories. The project was the brainchild of Kansas City businessman, J.P. Whitaker, who was then Scout Commissioner of the Kansas City Area Council.

The copper statues were manufactured by Friedley-Voshardt Co. (Chicago, Illinois) and purchased through the Kansas City Boy Scout office by those wanting one. The statues are approximately 8 1⁄2 feet tall without the base, constructed of sheet copper, weigh 290 pounds, and originally cost $350 plus freight. The mass-produced statues are not meticulously accurate: a conservator notes that "her face isn't as mature as the real Liberty. It's rounder and more like a little girl's."

Today

Many of these statues have been lost or destroyed, but preservationists have been able to account for about a hundred of them, and BSA Troop 101 of Cheyenne, Wyoming has collected photographs of over 100 of them. The Wikipedia list is approaching 150 examples.

Examples of the statues can be found at Birmingham, Alabama, Fayetteville, Arkansas, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Greeley, Colorado, at the Mississippi riverfront in Burlington, Iowa, at Overland Park, Kansas and at Chimborazo Park in Richmond, Virginia.

Over the years, the copper skins on several of the miniature statues began to take on oxidation, perfectly resembling the statue from which they are modeled, and several more had been renovated, and repaired, the statue in Burlington had been taken from its original position in Dankwardt Park, completely renovated, repaired, and polished, and then placed on a pedestal at the riverfront, where it sits today.

List of BSA Statue of Liberty replicas

The following is an incomplete list of where the statues were placed or are located in 2016.

Alabama

  • Birmingham, Liberty Park just off I-459, next to Birmingham Area BSA Council Office
  • This one was NOT created for the BSA Strengthen the Arm of Liberty campaign. It is a 1/5 model originally sanctioned by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company to sit atop their building

    • Arkansas

  • Fayetteville, Washington Regional Medical Center, North Street
  • Pine Bluff, 10th Avenue between Georgia & State Streets on Esplanade opposite South Side Civic Center
  • Sherwood, Amy Sanders Brach Library, 31 Shelby Road

    • California

  • Bellflower, John Simms Park, 16601 South Clark Avenue

    • Florida

  • Orlando, Magnolia & Orange Avenue

    • Georgia

  • Atlanta, Georgia State Capitol, Northwest corner of Capitol grounds. Corner of Washington Street & Martin Luther King Drive
  • Rome, at Camp Sidney Dew

    • Idaho

  • Caldwell, Caldwell Memorial Park, Near Grant Street

    • Illinois

  • London Mills, Village Veteran Park,
  • Warsaw, Rolston Park,

    • Indiana

  • Dupont, Camp Louis Ernst, BSA, 75 feet west of Indiana SR 7
  • Gary, 401 Broadway, City Hall
  • Madison, Jefferson County Courthouse, Northwest corner
  • Peru, Miami County Courthouse, Courthouse square, south side
  • Plymouth, Marshall County Commissioners, Marshall County Courthouse
  • South Bend, Old Courthouse, 101 South Main Street

    • Kentucky

  • Leitchfield, Grayson County Courthouse

    • Massachusetts

  • Fall River, John F. Kennedy Park, Corner of Bradford & Broadway Avenue
  • Lawrence, Lawrence Public Library

    • Michigan

  • Mackinac Island, Mackinac Island Marina

    • Minnesota

  • Hibbing, City Hall, 401 East 21st Street

    • Mississippi

  • Columbus, located on Main Street

    • Montana

  • Great Falls, Gibson Park, Park Drive & 2nd Avenue North
  • Lewistown, Prospect & Main Streets

    • Nebraska

  • Columbus, Pawnee Park, 33rd Avenue
  • Fremont, Masonic Park, 77 & Highway 30
  • Gering, U & 10th
  • Grand Island, Pier Park
  • Hastings, 12th Street
  • Lincoln, Antelope Park
  • Norfolk, Central Park, 510 Pasewalk Avenue
  • Scottsbluff, 10th & North 27th Street

    • New York

  • Le Roy, Wolcott Street, Opposite Woodward Memorial Library
  • Niagara Falls, Rainbow Bridge Plaza
  • Oneonta, Neawha Park
  • Schenectady, Van Curler Park
  • Utica, Median between Elm Street & Pleasant Street

    • North Carolina

  • Wilmington, City Hall, Front lawn, northeast corner of Third & Princess Streets

    • North Dakota

  • Fargo, Main & 2nd Streets

    • Oregon

  • Medford, Hawthorne Park, Near Almond & Main

    • Pennsylvania

  • Berwick, Borough Hall, Market Street
  • Bloomsburg, Bloomsburg Memorial Elementary School, West 5th & South Market Streets
  • Ellwood City, Lincoln High School, 5th & Crescent Avenue
  • New Castle, Owen Penfield Fox Park, Mill & Grove Streets
  • York, Kiwanis Park, North Newberry Street & Parkway Boulevard, On island in lake

    • South Carolina

  • Columbia, Realtors Park, Intersection of Barnwell, Blossom & Devine Streets

    • Texas

  • Dallas, Fair Park, North side of Hall of State
  • Midland, Midland County Courthouse, 200 West Wall Street
  • Port Arthur, Lions Park

    • Virginia

  • Richmond, Chimborazo Park

    • West Virginia

  • Fairmont, American Legion Post #17, 207 Jefferson Street

    • Wisconsin

  • Kenosha, Civic Center Park, Kenosha
  • Madison, Warner Park, Corner of Northport & Sherman Avenue

    • Wyoming

  • Torrington, Goshen County Courthouse, N.E. corner of 21st Avenue & East A Street
  • Wheatland, Platte County Courthouse, 800 9th Street

    • Other artifacts of the project

    A Strengthen the Arm of Liberty brass pin was also available for uniform and civilian wear. The pin is in the shape of the Statue of Liberty superimposed on a fleur de lis. The Robbins Company, which made BSA's Eagle medals for many years, made these pins and the winged "R" hallmark is prominently displayed on the reverse. In addition, a commemorative neckerchief slide was made for Boy Scouts and for the Cub Scouts.

    References

    Strengthen the Arm of Liberty Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


    Similar Topics