''Waiting for the Interurban'', also known as ''People Waiting for the Interurban'', is a 1978

cast Cast may refer to: Music * Cast (band), an English alternative rock band * Cast (Mexican band), a progressive Mexican rock band * The Cast, a Scottish musical duo: Mairi Campbell and Dave Francis * ''Cast'', a 2012 album by Trespassers William ...

aluminum Aluminium (or aluminum in North American English) is a chemical element; it has chemical symbol, symbol Al and atomic number 13. It has a density lower than that of other common metals, about one-third that of steel. Aluminium has ...

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

collection in the Fremont neighborhood of

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

. It is located on the southeast corner of N. 34th Street and Fremont Avenue N., just east of the northern end of the

Fremont Bridge Fremont Bridge may refer to: * Fremont Bridge (Portland, Oregon) * Fremont Bridge (Seattle) The Fremont Bridge is a double-leaf bascule bridge that spans the Fremont Cut in Seattle, Washington. The bridge, which connects Fremont Avenue North a ...

. It consists of six people and a dog waiting for

public transportation Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whi ...

— specifically, the Seattle- Everett

Interurban The interurban (or radial railway in Canada) is a type of electric railway, with tram-like electric self-propelled railcars which run within and between cities or towns. The term "interurban" is usually used in North America, with other terms u ...

. While the interurban railway ran through Fremont from 1910 until 1939, it stopped on Fremont Avenue rather than N. 34th Street, which the statue faces. The sculptor, Fremont resident

Richard Beyer Richard Sternoff Beyer (July 26, 1925 – April 9, 2012) was an American sculptor from Pateros, Washington. Between 1968 and 2006, Beyer made over 90 sculptures. Early life and education Beyer was born in Washington, D.C., on July 26, 1925. He ...

, included several subtleties in the sculpture which reward close viewing. The face of the dog was sculpted to resemble Fremont political leader and the city's "godfather of

recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the propert ...

" Armen "Napoleon" Stephanian, with whom Beyer had public disagreements in the 1970s. People living and working in the Fremont neighborhood often dress the characters in apparel appropriate to a season or local event.

History

The statues were erected on June 15, 1978, and dedicated on June 17 during the Fremont Fair. Concerns over damage to the statues from weather and automobiles led to the installation of a

pergola A pergola is most commonly used as an outdoor garden feature forming a shaded walkway, passageway, or sitting area of vertical posts or pillars that usually support crossbeams and a sturdy open lattice, often upon which woody vines are t ...

by artist Pete Larsen in 1979. Power, which provided lighting to the pergola, was not installed until almost ten years later. Sculptor Richard Beyer was selected in 1975 by the Fremont Arts Council to create ''Waiting for the Interurban'', in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of Fremont's founding. The piece cost $18,210 and was financed mainly through private donations and the city's art fund. Beyer initially went uncompensated for his work, until private fundraisers raised enough revenue to cover the $6,000 he was owed. In January 1980, the

Seattle City Council The Seattle City Council is the legislative body of the city of Seattle, Washington. The Council consists of nine members serving four-year terms, seven of which are elected by electoral districts and two of which are elected in citywide at-larg ...

formally accepted the sculpture as a donation to the city. During the repairs of the

that began in February 2006, the sculpture was moved about east of its original location to History House, at the corner of N. 34th Street and Troll Avenue N., which runs up a hill to the ''

Fremont Troll The ''Fremont Troll'' (also known as ''The Troll'', or the ''Troll Under the Bridge'') is a public sculpture in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. Description ''The Troll'' is a mixed media colossal statue, loca ...

''. History House also has exhibits showing some of the most imaginative displays by people who have decorated the statues over the years. The sculpture was returned to its original site following the completion of bridge repairs in May 2007. On August 17, 2008, another sculpture was dedicated a block away on N. 34th Street, known as '' Late for the Interurban''. The statue, sculpted by Kevin Pettelle of

Sultan, Washington Sultan is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States. It is located approximately east of Everett at the confluence of the Skykomish River and the Sultan River, a minor tributary. The city had a population of 5,146 at the 2020 cen ...

, portrays the 1970s Seattle TV clown J. P. Patches and his sidekick Gertrude.

Reception

Andy Rooney Andrew Aitken Rooney (January 14, 1919 – November 4, 2011) was an American radio and television writer who was best known for his weekly broadcast "A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney", a part of the CBS News program ''60 Minutes'' from 1978 to 201 ...

included ''Waiting for the Interurban'' in a ''

60 Minutes ''60 Minutes'' is an American television news magazine broadcast on the CBS television network. Debuting in 1968, the program was created by Don Hewitt and Bill Leonard, who distinguished it from other news programs by using a unique style o ...

'' piece he did criticizing modern art.

References

External links

Save Outdoor Sculpture Survey
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waiting For The Interurban 1978 sculptures Aluminum sculptures in Washington (state) Fremont, Seattle Outdoor sculptures in Seattle Sculptures of children in Washington (state) Sculptures of dogs in the United States Sculptures of men in Washington (state) Sculptures of women in Washington (state) Statues in Seattle 1978 establishments in Washington (state)