The Boy with the Leaking Boot facts for kids

Statue in Cleethorpes, England

The statue called The Boy with the Leaking Boot shows a young boy holding up his right boot. He has one bare foot and is looking at his boot. This statue is about 4 feet (1.2 meters) tall. Many of these statues are actually fountains, with water coming out of the boot's toe.

There are at least 24, and maybe even hundreds, of these statues around the world! No one is completely sure where the idea for the statue came from. Some stories say the boy was a young Italian newspaper seller who drowned. Other stories suggest he was an American army drummer-boy who used his leaky boot to carry water for injured friends. Another idea is that he was a young firefighter. He might have been using his boot in a line of people passing buckets of water, or emptying water from his boot after an event. It's also possible none of these stories are true! The statue is sometimes called The Boy with the Leaky Boot, Boy Immigrant, or Unfortunate Boot.

Where Did the Statue Come From?

An old picture from a 1925 catalog of the J. L. Mott Iron Works. This picture helped Santa Clara, Cuba, choose the fountain for their main square.

The statue in Parque Vidal, Santa Clara, Cuba

A picture showing the Boy's shape used as a symbol for public services in Santa Clara city, Cuba.

The exact beginning of the "Boy with the Boot" statues is a bit of a mystery. It seems the first ones appeared in the United States around 1895. People thought wealthy travelers bought them in Europe during their "Grand European Tour." Many stories say the statues came from Germany, but this has not been fully proven.

However, there might be a real connection to Germany. In 1998, a man named Patrick Patterson bought what were said to be the original bronze molds for the statue. He bought them from an antique dealer in Texas. These molds were sold to the Texas dealer by a company in Wisconsin in 1981. That company said the molds came from a Mr. Henry Braun, who moved from Germany in the 1920s. He might have brought the molds with him.

These bronze molds are likely the original ones because the very first statues were made from "white metal" (zinc). They were made using a special process called "slurry casting," which is different from other ways of making statues.

Statues in the United States

Ohio's Oldest Boy

One of the earliest statues is in Sandusky, Ohio. It used to stand in front of the Porter House hotel by Lake Erie. A local couple, Mr. and Mrs. Voltaire Scott, brought the original zinc statue from Germany in 1876. After being damaged by a storm and by people, the statue was moved inside the City Hall. A new bronze statue was then placed in a fountain in Washington Park.

Montana's Historic Boy

In Helena, Montana, a statue stood in front of a large swimming pool complex called the "Natatorium." This building was part of the Broadwater Hotel and was built in 1889. The statue is now inside the old First National Bank Building in the town.

Fresno's Drinking Fountain

A statue was put in Courthouse Park in Fresno, California, in 1895. It was a drinking fountain! People gave money to the Salvation Army to pay for it. Small tin cups hung from the statue, and ice blocks kept the water cool. This statue was bought from the J. L. Mott Iron Works in New York. Over the years, it was moved, damaged, and fixed many times. It was remade in bronze in 1947 and again in 1995. Today, it is in the Fresno County Plaza.

Wisconsin's Resilient Boy

The statue in Stevens Point, Wisconsin, put up in 1895, also had a tough life. It was hit by a horse-drawn cart in 1910. After that, the local fire department took care of it. It stood outside their station and was damaged and fixed many times. In 1998, its head was even cut off, but it was returned to the police three days later! A concrete copy of the statue was made in 2009. The original statue, now fixed, is still with the fire department. People are thinking about putting it in a glass case inside Fire Station #1.

Vermont's Town Centerpiece

A statue of the boy is a main feature of a fountain in Wallingford, Vermont. It stands on Main Street and School Street. This statue has been an important part of the town since 1898.

New Orleans' Multiple Boys

There have been five statues in five different places in New Orleans since 1898. The first one was put up at the Milliken Children's Hospital. When this statue was damaged in 1961, only the boot was left. It is said that this boot is now on the hospital administrator's desk! The newest statue is in a pool at the Children's Hospital.

Ellenville's Three Statues

The village of Ellenville says it has three of these statues. One is a 1997 model in Liberty Square. Another was bought in 1925 and is now in the Public Library. A third statue is thought to be from before 1908 and is waiting to be fixed. This old statue was made by J. L. Mott Iron Works. It was used by sculptor Matt Pozorski to create the 1997 version. This statue is seen as a very important symbol of Ellenville.

Hershey's Garden Boy

A statue was placed at High Point Mansion in Hershey, Pennsylvania. This was the home of Milton S. Hershey and his wife Catherine. It replaced a fountain that sprayed Mrs. Hershey's favorite sitting spot when the wind blew. Now, the statue is in the Hershey Gardens. Since Mrs. Hershey passed away in 1915, this statue must be from that year or earlier.

Colorado's School Display

In Penrose, Colorado, a bronze statue was put up in 1915. It was given to the town by Spencer and Julie Penrose. After being stolen and damaged several times, it was given to Penrose School in 2005. It is now kept in a display case there. The Senior Citizens of Penrose own it.

Maine's Drinking Fountain

A well-kept statue with eight working drinking fountains can be seen in Houlton, Maine. It is in Pierce Park. The city bought it in 1916 after Mrs. Clara P. Frisbie left $1000 to make the park more beautiful. The statue is even shown on the city's website!

Texas' Alligator Friend

A statue stood in City Hall Park in El Paso, Texas, for 50 years. In the 1950s, it was moved to San Jacinto Plaza. There, it was protected by a moat that had alligators in it! In 1995, it was moved again to El Paso City Hall.

Oregon's Courthouse Boy

A statue was bought by Baker County, Oregon, around 1908 when the county courthouse was built. The "boy" was the center of a fountain in front of the courthouse. Water sprayed towards him from four lion heads. After being damaged and repaired many times, he was brought inside the courthouse. He was finally put in a display case on June 9, 1975.

Other US Locations

Other statues have been reported in the United States in Salida, Colorado (at the Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center), and Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Statues in Canada

Winnipeg's Jubilee Gift

A statue in Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba, was given to the city in 1897. It was a gift from the Young Peoples' Christian Endeavour Society and the Trades and Labour Council. They gave it to honor Queen Victoria's 50 years as queen. It was part of a fountain outside the old city hall. In 1953, it was moved to the park with money from Rotary International Fellowship.

Toronto and Montreal

Another statue is in Toronto. There is also one on Bernard Street in Montreal.

Statues in the United Kingdom

Cleethorpes' Swedish Connection

Another statue was given to the town of Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire, in 1918. It was a gift from John Carlbom or Calborn. He was a Swedish immigrant who had a successful shipping business in Cleethorpes. He was also the Swedish Vice-Consul. It is said that his statue was a copy of one in a restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden. The Cleethorpes statue is now in a pond in the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Gardens. It was stolen and replaced in 2002 and 2008. It was also damaged in October 2011. A nearby pub was even named The Leaking Boot, but it burned down in 2009.

Statues in Cuba

Santa Clara's City Symbol

In 1925, a statue was put up in Cuba in the Parque Vidal of Santa Clara. Colonel Francisco López Leiva bought it from J. L. Mott of New York. This statue has become a symbol of the city. It is known as the Boy with the Unfortunate Boot. At some point, it was damaged. A new bronze statue replaced it in 1970. It is called "one of the symbols of this city."

Statues in Other Countries

Copies of the statue can also be found in Stockholm and Svappavaara, Sweden, and in Caracas, Venezuela.

A Book About the Boy

Mary'n B. Rosson (who passed away in 2002) wrote an article for True West Magazine. It was about fixing the El Paso statue. After her article, she received many letters about the Boy statues in other cities. These letters had lots of information about the statues. She felt she had to write a book about them! Her book, The Mystery of the Boy With Leaking Boot, was published in 1997.

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