Wichita, Kansas - Protest Sit-In Soda Fountain

This sculpture is a tribute to the soda fountain sit-ins of the 1960's. It is located in Reflection Square Park. [Joe Boulter, 09/30/2007]

The pocket park, where a Woolworths once stood, finally had its soda fountain sculpture in place when I was there last. This is in downtown Wichita, KS, and the soda fountain sculpture is a tribute to the soda fountain sit-ins of the 1960s. The pocket park had turned out to be more of a little plaza, really, with its tiled and concrete surfaces, and a fountain being installed. For a long time, the so-called pocket park was nothing but an empty space between two buildings, so anyone visiting downtown Wichita might not have noticed it.

Along with the soda fountain sculpture in this park, there are now many street sculptures along the same street, (Douglas Avenue,) in the downtown area. Some are of animals, some are of people, and one to look for is a sculpture of an owl which rests on a traffic light overhang, at Douglas and Topeka Ave.. [Don Fraysier, 11/23/2000]