The Hiker (Kitson)

The original, at the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, in 1906.

The Hiker is a statue created by Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson. It commemorates the American soldiers who fought in the Spanish–American War, the Boxer Rebellion and the Philippine–American War. The first version of it was made for the University of Minnesota in 1906,^[1] but at least 50 copies were made, and were erected very widely across the United States.

"The Hiker depicts a hero stripped of his parade uniform and shown as a soldier reacting to the challenges of the battlefield." ^[2]

Original

When she created The Hiker, Kitson already had a reputation for sculpting war memorial statues. For the title of her work, Kitson used the term that American soldiers in both the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American War gave themselves: "hikers". Leonard Sefing, Jr., a Spanish–American War veteran from Allentown, Pennsylvania, was selected as the model for the statue after a photograph of him was entered into a national contest.^[3]

The original statue was unveiled at the University of Minnesota on Memorial Day, 1906.^[4] The statue stands in front of the armory at 15 Church Street. Also known as the "Student Soldier Memorial", it is a monument to the 218 University of Minnesota students who served in the Spanish–American War.^[5] The statue is 9 feet (2.7 m) tall and stands on a 6-foot (1.8 m) granite base, depicting a soldier clad in a period uniform with a campaign hat and a Krag-Jørgensen rifle. Today this statue, now missing its gun tip,^[6] is popularly known as Iron Mike.^[5]

Locations

Kitson's Hikers are attractive corrosion monitors because of their fixed geometry, reasonably consistent alloy chemistry, wide distribution, and long period of exposure.^[6]

"Hiker Study - In Situ Measurement of Long-Term Monumental Bronze Corrosion", 2009

Kitson's work proved to be very popular,^[4] largely because of its realism and historical accuracy.^[7] In 1921, the Gorham Manufacturing Company, located in Providence, Rhode Island, bought the rights to the statue, and over the next 44 years Gorham cast at least 50 Hiker statues.^[7] The earliest installations tended to be in the northeastern United States, with post-World War II statues installed mostly in the South and West.^[6]

Because of the wide distribution of the statues, they have recently been used to study air pollution over the last century.^[6]

Date	Location	City & state	Coordinates	Unique features	Photo	Reference
1906	In front of the University of Minnesota Armory, facing Church Street	Minneapolis	44°58′37.9″N 93°13′57.82″W / 44.977194°N 93.2327278°W	This is the original casting		[8]
1911	Kennedy Plaza	Providence, Rhode Island	41°49′30.66″N 71°24′40.68″W / 41.8251833°N 71.4113000°W	This Monument Erected by The City of Providence to her sons who on land and sea defended the Nation's honor in the war with Spain, the Insurrection in the Philippines and the China Relief Expedition 1898-1902. Dedicated July 12, 1925 under the aspices of Capt. Allyn K Capron Camp No. 1 and Sidney F. Hoar Camp No. 4 United Spanish War Veterans.		[9]
June 14, 1913	North Andover Police Department	North Andover, Massachusetts,
May 30, 1921	Central Park located on Monument Hill east of Bradley Boulevard	Schenectady, New York		The Hiker statue overlooks Iroquois Lake. Dedicated under the auspices of General Eugene Griffin Camp No 11 United Spanish War Veterans and the Board of Supervisors of Schenectady County. The Hiker was rededicated June 15, 1996.
May 30, 1923	Pine Grove Cemetery,145 Boston Street	Lynn, Massachusetts		Freedom - Patriotism - Humanity Erected by the City of Lynn to Commemorating the Valor and Patriotism of the Men of this City who Served in the War with Spain, Philippine Insurrection and China Relief Expedition 1898-1902. Dedicated May 30, 1923 under the Auspices of General Joseph P. Sanger Camp No. 15. United Spanish War Veterans Dept. of Mass.
October 21, 1923	Canal Square (formerly known as McKinley Square)	Cohoes, New York		Bears the inscription: "To the Men of Cohoes Who Served Their Country, in the War With Spain, The Philippine Campaign and the China Relief Expedition, 1898 and 1902." and containing the names of 203 Cohoes soldiers, sailors and marines.
1923	Memorial Hall	Dayton, Ohio
May 17, 1924	Deering Oaks	Portland, Maine
May 30, 1924	Billings Park, South Salina & South Warren & East Adams Street	Syracuse, New York		Erected by Onondaga County and Col. Butler Camp and Spanish War Veterans. The Placard on the monument states "Erected by the County of Onondaga and Colonel John G. Butler Camp, Spanish War Veterans. To the memory of the soldiers and sailors of this country who volunteered and served in the war with Spain, Philippine Insurrection and Boxer Uprising in China. 1924"
September 1, 1924	Moran Square	Fitchburg, Massachusetts		The Placard on the monument states "This Monument Erected by The City of Fitchburg to Commemorate the Valour and Patriotism of the Men who Served in the War with Spain, Philippine Insurrection and China Relief Expedition 1898-1902. Dedicated September 1, 1924 under the Auspices of Guanica Camp No. 9 United Spanish War Veterans."
1924	North-east corner of Bronson Park	Kalamazoo, Michigan	42°17′25.93″N 85°35′6.24″W / 42.2905361°N 85.5850667°W			[10]
September 19, 1925	Russell Sage College located on college ground looking toward Congress Street	Troy, New York		Dedicated under the auspices of Marcus D. Russell Camp No. 2 United Spanish–American War Veterans and the Board of Supervisors of Rensselaer County.
October 12, 1926	Located at Main and Common Street	Wakefield, Massachusetts,
October 24, 1926	Gale Park, Kenoza Avenue & Mill Street	Haverhill, Massachusetts		The Placard on the monument states "This Monument Erected by the City of Haverhill to Commemorate the Valor and Patriotism of the Men who Served in the War with Spain, Philippine Insurrection and China Relief Expedition 1898-1902. Dedicated October 24, 1926 under the Auspices of Sergeant Fred Thomas Camp No. 48 United Spanish War Veterans Department of Massachusetts."
September 26, 1926	Inside Bohemian National Cemetery	Chicago		An additional plaque, in the ground at the base of the hiker, was dedicated May 17, 1964. The plaque, in the shape of a cross, was an honor roll of 147 names of comrades from American Camp No.30 United Spanish War Veterans dedicated by the last six members of the camp.
1927	Lt Joseph F Wehner Park on Lynn St	Everett, Massachusetts,		The placard on the monument states "Erected by the City of Everett"
September 5, 1927	Garfield Square Market at 5th Street	Pottsville, Pennsylvania		The placard on the monument state the following; Dedicated Sept. 5, 1927
October 12, 1927	Oak Grove Cemetery, 230 Playstead Road	Medford, Massachusetts		The Placard on the monument states "This Monument Erected by The City of Medford to her sons who on land and sea defended the Nation's honor in the war with Spain, the Insurrection in the Philippines and the China Relief Expedition 1898-1902. Dedicated Oct 12, 1927."
1928	At the north end of Waltham Common	Waltham, Massachusetts	42°22′33.49″N 71°14′10.52″W / 42.3759694°N 71.2362556°W
1928	Located Foster Park, Bordered by State S.E., Cherry S.E., & Prospect S.E.	Grand Rapids, Michigan		Formerly located at Lookout Park from 1928-1957		[11]
May 27, 1928		Wichita Falls, Texas				[12]
July 4, 1929	Bronstein Park facing Hanover Street	Manchester, New Hampshire		The Placard on the monument states "This Monument Erected by The City of Manchester to her sons who on land and sea defended the Nation's honor in the war with Spain, the Insurrection in the Philippines and the China Relief Expedition 1898-1902. Dedicated July 4, 1929."
1929	Wisner Park	Elmira, New York		The Placard on the monument states "In Memory of the Veterans who served during the Spanish American War, the Philippine Insurrection, the China Relief Expedition 1898 to 1902. Presented by the Citizens of Chemung County through the Honorable Board of Supervisors and the Honorable Mayor and Common Council of Elmira, N.Y. Erected 1929 Veterans Committee Mayor John D. Driscoll, P.D.C., William H. Shay P.C., Sumner O. Smith P.C., William D. Gelder P.C., Leon A. Forrest P.C." This Hiker was featured in a Post Card for Wisner Park in Elmira, New York in 1937.
1931	South End of Forsythe Park	Savannah, Georgia
1934	Chelsea City Hall,500 Broadway	Chelsea, Massachusetts		The placard on the monument states" This Memorial Erected by the Walter I. Chadbourne Camp No. 24 U.S.W.V. in Honor of the Men of Chelsea who served in the 1898 - Spanish–American War - 1902 Dedicated November 11, 1934 Volunteers all by their service and their lives they gave the blessings of liberty and justice to the oppressed people of Cuba and the Philippines" Additionally, the placard lists the names of the citizens of Chelsea that were members of the 1st Mass. Heavy Artillery H Battery U.S. Volunteers, members of the U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, Marine Corp, and identifies that Corp. Daniel J. Dempsey was killed in action July 1, 1898 at the Battle of El Caney.
1934	Southeast corner of The Common	Woburn, Massachusetts	42°28′45.75″N 71°9′7.44″W / 42.4793750°N 71.1520667°W			[13]
1937	West side of Taunton Green	Taunton, Massachusetts	41°54′6.61″N 71°5′37.16″W / 41.9018361°N 71.0936556°W
October 10, 1937	Greenspace located at College Heights Boulevard, North 28th and West Tilghman Street	Allentown, Pennsylvania	40°35′58″N 75°31′10″W / 40.59944°N 75.51944°W	Leonard Sefing, Jr., a Spanish–American War veteran from Allentown, was the model for the statue.[3]		[3]
1938	Traffic island at the intersection of Plymouth Avenue and Pleasant Street	Fall River, Massachusetts	41°41′51″N 71°8′49″W / 41.69750°N 71.14694°W	The base upon which statue stands is formed from the top of a column from the demolished Fall River Customs House and Post Office set on a slab of Fall River granite. In 1983, the local and state historical commissions nominated the statue for the National Register of Historic Places, but the listing was rejected.[14]		[15]
August 13, 1938	Lincoln Street between Market & 8th	Shamokin, Pennsylvania		The placard states "This monument was erected by the patriotic people of Shamokin and vicinity and the members of Major General Guy V. Henry Camp No. 11, United Spanish War Veterans, to commemorate the valor and patriotism of the men who served in the war with Spain, the Philippine Insurrection and the China Relief Expedition. Dedicated August 13, 1938"
November 20, 1938	Located Pleasant & Highland Streets at the Oscar C Wallace Park	Malden, Massachusetts		The Placard on the monument states "This Monument Erected by The City of Malden to her sons who on land and sea defended the Nation's honor in the war with Spain, Philippine Insurrection and the China Relief Expedition 1898-1902. Dedicated November 20, 1938 under the auspices of Col. Moses B. Lakeman Camp No. 44 United Spanish War Veterans."
May 30, 1939	Loyola Avenue, facing north into the intersection with Poydras Street	New Orleans	29°57′1.82″N 90°4′32.92″W / 29.9505056°N 90.0758111°W	Originally located at North Claiborne and Canal Street
1940	Located at the corner of Huntington and Santa Anita in Los Angeles County.	Arcadia, California		Dedicated to those who served in the war with Spain, the Philippine Insurrection and China Relief Expedition 1898-1902. Presented by the county of Los Angeles, the United Spanish–American War Veterans of Southern California and Friends.
June 30, 1940	300 W. Main Street, Northside of courthouse lawn	Knoxville, Tennessee		The base of the monument is a boulder from taken from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Dedicated under the auspices of the Jack Bernard Camp, United Spanish War Veterans of Knoxville.
October 18, 1940	Alabama Department of Archives and History-Statuary Hall,624 Washington Avenue	Montgomery, Alabama		This monument is located inside Statuary Hall and may be the only Hiker monument to be on display inside a climate controlled building.
September 7, 1940	Intersection of South 10th Street & South 9th Street	Lebanon, Pennsylvania
October 22, 1941	State House Grounds next to Gervais Street	Columbia, South Carolina		Erected by the State of South Carolina and her citizens to honor the memory of her sons who served in the War with Spain,The Philippine Insurrection and the China Relief Expedition 1898-1902.Dedicated October 22, 1941 by the Department of South Carolina United Spanish War Veterans. Another plaque lists the regiments from South Carolina and the names of the men who volunteered for the yellow fever test in Cuba.
November 23, 1941	437 Broad Street	Meriden, Connecticut		Erected by the Meriden City Council in 1941 for $3,000 and includes a plaque of 206 names os Spanish–American War veterans.		[16]
May 23, 1942	North Landing located at the intersection of North Street and Crawford Street	Portsmouth City,Virginia
June 11, 1943	North Lakewood and East Fayette street	Baltimore
September 15, 1946	Michigan State Capitol grounds on S. Capital Avenue	Lansing, Michigan				[17]
1947	Penn Valley Park	Kansas City, Missouri,	39°4′35.71″N 94°35′15.64″W / 39.0765861°N 94.5876778°W
1947	Arsenal Square	Cambridge, Massachusetts		The placard on the monument states "This Monument Erected by the city of Cambridge to her sons who on land and sea defended the nation's honor in the war with Spain, the insurrection in the Philippines, and the China Relief Expedition 1898 - 1902. Dedicated October 12, 1947 under the auspices of Leslie F. Hunting Camp No. 12 United Spanish War Veterans"
October 5, 1948	Elm St. & Morris Ave.	Morristown, New Jersey	40°47′46.7″N 74°28′25.94″W / 40.796306°N 74.4738722°W	On the back are carved the names of the Morristown men who died in service.		[18]
1949	Capitol Park	Sacramento, California	38°34′34.18″N 121°29′33.86″W / 38.5761611°N 121.4927389°W
August 12, 1949	Howard Park located at the corner of Parker and Okeechobee Blvd	West Palm Beach, Florida
1951	Texas State Capitol grounds, near the western corner of the Capitol building	Austin, Texas	30°16′28.72″N 97°44′29.7″W / 30.2746444°N 97.741583°W	The Hiker is the last war memorial to be added on the grounds of the Texas State Capitol.		[19]
1956	Spanish War Park East Parkway & Central Avenue	Memphis, Tennessee		Inscription on plaque affixed to base reads: The Hiker Typifying the American Volunteer who fought Spain in Cuba, the Philippines, and Boxer Rebellion. Erected in 1956 with funds raised by Spanish War Veterans of Memphis under the leadership of Fred Bauer, Commander.
February 15, 1959	Armory Park	Tucson, Arizona,		Installed January 22, 1959
July 24, 1965	Memorial Drive, just outside Arlington National Cemetery	Arlington, Virginia	38°53′4.57″N 77°3′44.73″W / 38.8846028°N 77.0624250°W	The United Spanish War Veterans Memorial, consisting of a casting of the statue atop a granite plinth, is one of several monuments "not formally part of Arlington Cemetery."[20]
		Newburyport, Massachusetts

Sources

1. Rubenstein, Charlotte Streifer, American Women Sculptors: A History of Women Working in Three Dimensions, G. K. Hall and Co. Boston, 1990 pp. 103–104 ISBN 978-0-8161-8732-4
2. Little, Carol Morris, A Comprehensive Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in Texas, University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas 1996 p. 70
3. "The Hiker, (sculpture)", Art Inventories Catalog (Smithsonian Institution), retrieved 2012-01-31, Allentown native and Spanish American War veteran, Leonard Sefing, Jr., was the model for the final design of the original "Hiker" sculpture, of which this sculpture is a reproduction. Sefing's photograph was submitted by a local photographer to a national contest seeking the ideal Spanish American War soldier.
4. Tucker, Spencer (2009), "Theodora Alice Ruggles Kitson, "The Hiker" war memorial, 1906", The encyclopedia of the Spanish-American and Philippine-American wars: a political, social, and military history (ABC-CLIO) 1, p. 988, ISBN 1-85109-951-4, retrieved 2012-01-31
5. Brady, Tim (2007), Gopher Gold: Legendary Figures, Brilliant Blunders, and Amazing Feats at the University of Minnesota, Minnesota Historical Society, p. 142, ISBN 0-87351-601-X, retrieved 2012-01-31
6. "Hiker Study - In Situ Measurement of Long-Term Monumental Bronze Corrosion", The Effects of Air Pollution on Cultural Heritage (Springer), 2009, pp. 89–96, ISBN 0-387-84892-4
7. Little, Carol Morris (1996), A comprehensive guide to outdoor sculpture in Texas, University of Texas Press, pp. 70–71, ISBN 0-292-76036-1, retrieved 2012-01-31
8. Harris, Moira A., Monumental Minnesota: A Guide to Outdoor Sculpture, Pogp Press Inc., 1992 p. 33
9. "The Hiker" Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian Museum
10. Hendry, Fay, photos by Balthazar Korab, Outdoor Sculpture of Kalamazoo, iota press, Okemos, MI, 1980 p. 22-23
11. Hendry, Fay, photos by Balthazar Korab, Outdoor Sculpture of Grand Rapids, iota press, Okemos, MI, 1980 p. 68-69
12. Little, Carol Morris, ‘’A Comprehensive Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in Texas’’, University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas 1996 p. 71
13. Dedicated November 11, 1934, stated on marker
14. Giza, Patricia (1984). A Guide Book to Fall River's National Register Properties. Fall River, Massachusetts: The City.
15. "LEST WE FORGET: Veterans of Spanish-American War honored", The Herald News, 2009-01-04, retrieved 2012-01-31
16. Hiker” Art Inventories Catalog, Smithsonian Museum
17. Hendry, Fay, photos by Balthazar Korab, Outdoor Sculpture of Lansing, iota press, Okemos, Michigan, 1980 p. 18-19
18. Bostick, Virginia L., ‘’The Public Monuments & Sculpture of Morristown, New Jersey’’, New Jersey State Council of the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts, 1978, p. 13-14
19. Little, Carol Morris, ‘’A Comprehensive Guide to Outdoor Sculpture in Texas’’, University of Texas Press, Austin, Texas 1996 pp. 70-71
20. Monuments on Memorial Drive, National Park Service, Arlington National Cemetery, retrieved 2012-02-07, Also located along Memorial Drive are several memorials and monuments not formally part of Arlington Cemetery. These include the Seabees Memorial, the Armored Memorial, the United Spanish War Veterans Memorial (the Hiker), monument to Admiral Richard Evelyn Byrd, the 101st Airborne Division Memorial, and the 4 Infantry (IVY) Division Monument.

External links

Media related to The Hiker (Kitson) at Wikimedia Commons