Boy and the Boot (indoor)
Sandusky, Ohio
Sandusky has embraced its Boy and the Boot statue, acquired in 1895, more than any other city. It even uses the Boy as its official civic symbol. Yet Sandusky's mettle was tested on July 16, 1991, when a vandal attacked its Boy and the Boot. The 96-year-old showpiece had its head knocked off, then was toppled into its Washington Park fountain. This assault shocked the city. Refusing to give in to the statue assassins, Sandusky repaired the Boy, then used him to make an exact copy out of tougher metal to take over the old Boy's fountain duties.
The original Boy and the Boot was moved into the lobby of city hall in July 1992 -- and when city hall moved in 2019, the Boy moved with it. On December 14 the statue was placed atop his new indoor pedestal; its inscription briefly recounts the Boy's history, and contains Sandusky's official time capsule, which will be opened in 2068.