The Boy and the Boot
In our travels, we've noticed an odd little statue standing in the center of small town fountains. It's a 4 ft. tall hollow metal sculpting of a young boy standing, holding aloft a leaky boot that dribbles continuous streams of water. We're trying to piece together the story, and identify where every one of these bad boys still stands... there are at least 24, and there may have been many more at one time. Their point of origin is lost in the fog of the 19th century -- they may have first appeared in Italy, Belgium, France, Germany...
Sandusky, Ohio
The Boy and the Boot statue was brought from Baden, Germany by Mr.
and Mrs. Voltaire Scott, prominent Sanduskians, in 1876. The "Boy" was a town
centerpiece for many years. In 1924, a cyclone damaged the "Boy" very badly.
He also suffered an attack by vandals, who mauled his boot. After repairs,
a duplicate bronze Boy was cast from the zinc original and installed in
a fountain in Washington Park. The original statue is in the lobby of city
hall.
Houlton, Maine
Another Boy and the Boot stands in Monument Park, at the center of a circular
fountain. He's been leaking since 1916, although the town historical records
are vague about how he actually came to appear there. He stands in Pierce
Park, corner of Main St. and Military St.
Hershey, Pennsylvania
This Boy with the Boot was discovered on a very old postcard (right)
from Hershey, Pennsylvania. It reveals that the statue makes more sense when
it isn't shrouded in a busy fountain. In 2010, the statue was spotted in service in a pond at Hershey Gardens.
[More]
Fresno, California
Possibly the US's westermost Boy with the Boot, this fountain embellishment was erected in 1895. Over the years it has been vandalized and put into storage, only to be revived and restored for a new generation to enjoy. It currently stands in the Fresno County Plaza. [More]
Penrose, Colorado
The "Penrose Boy" has been a centerpiece for the town since 1915.
It suffered a traumatic kidnapping in 1969, when it went missing for a year
and a half, and finally turned up along a highway. It was repaired and restored
to its place of honor; now it makes occasional public appearances and is maintained
by the Beaver Park Co.
Salida, Colorado
A Boy with the Boot stands in a small fountain at the Heart of the Rockies Regional
Medical Center.
Council Bluffs, Iowa
The Boy with Leaking Boot stands in a small garden area in a main hall inside
the Omni Center. He no longer presides over
a fountain. (He's also been reported as residing in the basement of the General
Dodge House).
New Orleans, Louisiana
A statue at Children's Hospital.
Wallingford, Vermont
The Official Home Page of Wallingford features an animated Boy and the Boot,
water merrily arcing from the boot in an endless loop. The Boy is claimed
elsewhere to have been in place since 1898, disappearing from 1910-20 until
discovered in someone's attic. Today he stands in the center of town. More
on the Wallingford Boy
Stevens Point, Wisconsin
Another victim of mindless violence, this boy was beheaded and otherwise abused
in 1988. He was restored by the following year, standing in front of a local
firehouse. Then off came his head again. The Boy with the Boot statue was
repaired after the last vandalism episode. According to Lorna S. Whalen,
Stevens Point Fire Dept. Confidential Secretary: "The statue is always
taken down for the winter. We expect to have him back up and emptying the
water from his boot by the end of next week." That's May 10, 2002.
Wausau, Wisconsin
Lorna also reports a tip from her firehouse on another Boy statue in
Wausau, WI at the Wausau Center mall, located on 3rd and Washington Streets
downtown.
And there's another report of a "Boy with a Boot" statue/fountain inside the old City Hall historical museum in Wichita, Kansas.
Meanwhile, outside the US....
Canada Boys include one in Lindsay, Winnipeg and Toronto. North East Lincolnshire, England, boasts of its own Boy with the Leaking Boot, there since 1915. They are reported to be in fountains and little parks throughout Europe.
Address: 109 Main St., Houlton, ME [Show Map]
Directions: In Pierce Park, at the corner of Main and Military Sts
Admission: Free.
Phone: 207-532-4216
Address: 323 Columbus Ave, Sandusky, OH [Show Map]
Address: 9 W. Main St., Wallingford, VT [Show Map]
Directions: Intersection of Rte 7 and Main St. (the traffic light in the center of town).
Hours: Daylight Hours. In storage Dec-Mar.
Address: 1701 Franklin Street, Stevens Point, WI [Show Map]
Phone: 715-344-1833
Address: C-302 Wausau Center, Wausau, WI [Show Map]
Directions: Wausau Center Mall, 3rd and Washington Sts.
Hours: M-F 10 am - 9 pm, Sa 9:30 am - 9 pm, Su 11 am - 6 pm.
