The ''Juneau Monument'' is a public artwork by American artist

Richard Henry Park Richard Henry Park (also Richard Hamilton Park; February 17, 1838—November 7, 1902) was an American sculptor who worked in marble and bronze. He was commissioned to do work by the wealthy of the nineteenth century. He did a marble bust of John ...

located on the grounds of Juneau Park, which is in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

. The base of the statue is made of

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

. On top of the base is a

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

statue of

Solomon Juneau Burials at Calvary Cemetery (Milwaukee) Solomon Laurent Juneau, or Laurent-Salomon Juneau (August 9, 1793 – November 14, 1856) was a French Canadian fur trader, land speculator, and politician who helped found the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ...

. On each side of the base are bronze reliefs. The statue is wide by high.

Description

The front of the limestone base is inscribed with the name of the figure depicted in the sculpture, "Solomon Juneau." The back of the base is inscribed, "The gift of Charles T. Bradley, and William H. Metcalf to the City of Milwaukee." On the north side of the base is a bronze relief of Juneau being greeted by Native Americans. Underneath the relief, an inscription reads, "Solomon Juneau, First Mayor of Milwaukee, MDCCCXXXXVI." On the south side of the base is a bronze relief of Juneau being elected to

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

. Underneath the relief is the inscription, "Solomon Juneau, First Mayor of Milwaukee, MDCCCXXXXVI." The memorial statue is in size. The sculpture was unveiled on July 6, 1887 by Juneau's granddaughter, Hattie White.

Historical information

Solomon Juneau was a French Canadian born in a small village near

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

Lower Canada The Province of Lower Canada () was a British colonization of the Americas, British colony on the lower Saint Lawrence River and the shores of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence established in 1791 and abolished in 1841. It covered the southern portion o ...

on August 9, 1793. Juneau was a French trader with the

American Fur Company The American Fur Company (AFC) was a prominent American company that sold furs, skins, and buffalo robes. It was founded in 1808 by John Jacob Astor, a German Americans, German immigrant to the United States. During its heyday in the early 19th c ...

. In 1818, the American Fur Company established a trading post in Milwaukee. Juneau decided to purchase the land between the Milwaukee River and Lake Michigan and named it Juneau Town. He was the postmaster and the first president of the Village of Milwaukee. He was elected the first mayor of the City of Milwaukee in 1846. Juneau died in 1856 while making an Indian payment for the U.S. Government at a reservation in Keshena. Shoe manufacturers Charles T. Bradley and William H. Metcalf, friends of the Juneau family, donated the monument as a gift in remembrance of the first mayor of Milwaukee.

References

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External links

''Solomon Juneau'' from the Smithsonian's Save Outdoor Sculpture! surveyJuneau Monument
Greetings from Milwaukee, UWM Archives {{MilwaukeePublicArt 1887 establishments in Wisconsin 1887 sculptures Articles containing video clips Bronze sculptures in Wisconsin Monuments and memorials in Wisconsin Sculptures of men in Wisconsin Statues in Wisconsin