Oregon Illinois is a town rich with history. The town, located in Northwest Illinois on the Rock River, has been the home to artists since Lorado Taft lived here. A sculpture trail was developed to feature sculptures dating back to the early 1900s.
The Eternal Indian
This statue is the beginning of the trail and it's most famous member. It stands 48 feet tall and is the second tallest monolithic concrete statue in the world. It was sculpted by Lorado Taft in 1911 and is located in Lowden State Park outside of Oregon. It combines features of Fox, Sioux, Sac, and Mohawk tribes. Black Hawk, as he is more commonly called, stands 125 feet above the Rock River on a bluff. He looks across the river with his arms folded.
The Holy Family
This limestone depiction of Jesus, Mary and Joseph was created by David Seagraves and is 9 feet tall. It is located outside of St. Mary's Catholic Church on Route 2 in Oregon. Jesus is a small child sitting on Joseph's shoulders while placing a lily wreath on Mary's head.
The Soldier's Monument
The monument which is located on the lawn of the Ogle County Courthouse in Oregon was created by Lorado Taft to honor the county's war veteran's. It features a bronze figure of a man in the center holding two laurel wreaths which is said to represent America. On the left is an infrantryman looking north toward home and on the right is a cavalryman looking towards the south. Bronze plaques listing the veteran's from the nation's wars are behind the figures.
The Fish Boys
This Lorado Taft fountain is located in Mix Park on Route 2 in Oregon. The fountain features two boys kneeling by a shallow pool while holding large fish. Water cascades down from the fish's mouths into the pool. The boys are made of concrete and quartz and are models from a fountain located in Chicago.
Path of Conviction, Footsteps of Faith
This statue by Jeff Adams is also located in Mix Park and features Abraham Lincoln and Chief Black Hawk. It is intended to display the convictions of these two men whose paths crossed in the area in 1832. Black Hawk is sculpted with reference to paintings and a life mask and is wearing a buffalo robe. Lincoln is sculpted with reference to the many photos of him. Black Hawk and Lincoln each have a hand raised in response to the threat against the survival of their people and nations. The statue stands 13 feet tall and is made of bronze.
From the Waters Comes My Bounty
This statue by Ray Kobald is located in Kiwanis Park in Oregon and overlooks the river. It is the depiction of a fisherman holding many fish. He is wrapped in a fish net and has a fish over his head. The statue stands 7 feet tall and is made of bronze.
Agriculture, Mother of Civilization
This bronze statue by David Seagraves is located outside of the Ogle County Judicial Center on Fifth Street in Oregon. The statue, also known as Demeter, features a lifesize woman with a seed bag on her shoulder. She is depicted walking on furrowed ground and planting seeds.
Bountiful Bench
This statue created by Christina Murphy is made of bronze. The statue is a woman wearing a robe. The robe features many of the natural things native to the region such as eagles, white pine trees, fish and the river which cascades down the back. The statue is shaped as a bench which makes it not only beautiful to look at but functional as well.
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