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Updated: 5:40 PM Jun 11, 2010
Oregon Prepares for New Summer Festival
Fans of the Chicago Blackhaws were celebrating in Chicago today, but in Oregon fans of another famous Black Hawk are starting their own celebration.
Posted: 5:34 PM Jun 11, 2010 |
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For almost a century now the statue known as Black Hawk has stood watch over the city of Oregon. Now as it shows its age, a local group hopes to give it a little TLC.
Local leaders launch the new Oregon Trail Days festival next month as a fundraiser for the famous Laredo Taft sculpture. Taft built the figure of a Native American in 1911 using concrete. After a century, the sculpture is showing cracks and damage despite earlier repairs. The festival committee said today that it will cost about $350,000 to fix. Proceeds from Trail Days will help to fund those repairs.
"A lot of people have very heartfelt feelings about black hawk because he has been here so long and he's basically the heart and soul of our community," says Amy Trimble, part of the festival committee.
For information on how you can donate to the sculpture and for more stories from Ogle County, check out 23Hometowns.
The statue last year made the National Register of Historic Places and celebrates is 100th birthday next year. Oregon Trail Days kicks off this July 16.
