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Illinois Statues (page 1)

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Ramses Statue & Gold Pyramid
Wadsworth, IL
The 55-foot-tall Ramses Statue stands in front of the Gold Pyramid. The Pyramid is a six-story tall, 17,000 square foot private home. It was the largest 24 karat gold-plated object ever created, before its exterior was stripped. The building contains a replica of King Tut's tomb. There is also a garage with three pyramids and a gift shop. The place opened in 1977. These photos are from 2006. After being closed for many years, the Gold Pyramid reopened in 2011 for tours and conference space. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

Onan Roofers
Gurnee, IL in 2006:
Waukegan, IL in 2011:
Onan Roofers, originally Onan Garages, was founded in 1955. This statue is owned by Jim Onan who also owns the Gold Pyramid above. I assume the statue was modeled after Jim. The statue has a garage tucked under his right arm and holds a hammer in his left hand. It was originally part of a sign with blocks that spelled out O-N-A-N. By 2006 when the top row of photos were taken, the neon had been removed and the letters painted over. Around 2007, the company moved and the statue and sign were removed. The statue was repainted and installed in 2010 at the company's offices in Waukegan. [map]

Superman
Metropolis, IL		 Superman
Metropolis, IL		 Popeye
Chester, IL		 Dick Tracy
Naperville, IL
Metropolis is the self-proclaimed hometown of Superman. This 15-foot- tall bronze representation of him (left photo) was installed in 1993. He replaced a seven-foot-tall fiberglass statue from 1986. [map]

The second Superman statue shown above is installed at the Super Museum. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

This six-foot-tall bronze Popeye statue was installed in Segar Memorial Park in 1977. Chester calls itself the hometown of Popeye since the character's creator was born there. There is another Popeye statue in Chester. There are others in Arkansas and Texas. For more, see this website. [map]

This Dick Tracy sculpture was created by Don Reed and installed on the Riverwalk in 2010. It is made of bronze and about nine feet tall. The sculpture depicts the comic strip character using his two-way wrist radio. Dick Locher, one of the cartoonists that worked on the comic strip, has lived in Naperville since 1969. For more, see this website.

Revolutionary Soldier [gone]
St. Charles, IL
The Revolutionary Soldier is 18 feet tall and holds a 14-foot-long musket. The statue was carved from a fallen oak tree by the store's owner. It was completed in 1976 as a bicentennial memorial. The Soldier was installed in front of Custom Furniture. The photos above are from 2012. In 2014, it was announced that the store was closing. In 2017, the statue and chair were disassembled and moved to Pingree Gove, IL where they were to be restored. In 2020, the chair was restored. The statue is still being worked on. Neither are on display yet. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Fisherman and Trout
Niles, IL (now Twin Lakes, WI)
The Fisherman and Trout statues had been abandoned for decades. The dense vegetation made them nearly impossible to shoot. The statues advertised for the Fishermen's Dude Ranch fishing ponds which existed from 1957-1997. I believe the Fisherman held a fishing pole with a line that extended to the lure in the Trout's mouth. The ponds were filled in but the statues remained. The statues were produced by FAST Fiberglass. In 2015, the statues were sold to the owners of Mad Dan's in Twin Lakes, WI. Later that year, the statues were restored and installed on the roof of the restaurant. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Man with Fish
Chicago, IL		 Atlas
Crystal Lake, IL
The Man with Fish statue and fountain stands in front of the Shedd Aquarium. It was created by Stephan Balkenhol in 2001. The painted bronze statue is 12 feet tall. [map]

This Atlas statue is located inside at the Greenhouse of Crystal Lake.

Rockmen Guardians
Rockford, IL
The Rockmen Guardians were built from 1987-1988 by Terese Agnew. The four statues are about 12 feet tall and made of granite rocks and cement. They are located in a park next to the Rock River. [map]

Illinois
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