Chief Black Hawk Statue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Chief Black Hawk Statue
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | Crescent Park Dr. Lake View, Iowa |
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| Built | 1934 |
| Architect | Harry E. Stinson Carl J. Ludwig |
| NRHP reference No. | 00000532 |
| Added to NRHP | May 26, 2000 |
The Chief Black Hawk Statue is a historic monument in Lake View, Iowa, United States. Sac County is named after the Sauk people, sometimes called Sac. Lake View is located on Black Hawk Lake. This lake is named after a famous Sauk war leader, Chief Black Hawk.
These names became popular as people moving west often honored Native American leaders. However, it's unlikely that the Sauk people or Black Hawk himself ever visited this specific area. This is because neither the county nor the lake were part of their traditional lands.
Building the Statue
The idea for the Chief Black Hawk Statue started in 1932. Dr. E.E. Speaker and the Lake View Commercial Club wanted to create it. This was part of a bigger plan to create Black Hawk State Park near what was then called Wall Lake.
Harry E. Stinson, a sculptor and professor at the University of Iowa, was chosen to design the statue. He picked Crescent Park as the perfect spot. Stinson first made a small model, about 3-foot (0.91 m) tall. He used a university student as a body model. For the face, he used Moses Slick, a Native American man from Tama, Iowa.
A New Deal Project
This statue project became very important for Iowa. It was the first project funded by the Public Works of Art Project in the state. This program was part of the Civil Works Administration, a special program from the New Deal. The New Deal was a series of programs created during the Great Depression to help people find jobs.
Because of this project, the University of Iowa created rules for other towns. These rules helped other communities in Iowa get funding for their own art projects. The city of Lake View also helped pay for the statue. The Civilian Conservation Corps, another New Deal program, prepared the land and made it beautiful.
Dedication and Legacy
The Chief Black Hawk Statue was officially dedicated on September 3, 1934. This day was Labor Day. During the ceremony, the name of Wall Lake was changed to Black Hawk Lake.
The final statue looks a little different from Stinson's first model. Its features are sharper and more detailed. It also looks similar to a painting of Black Hawk from 1837 by Charles Bird King. The statue was recognized as a historic place in 2000. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
