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Batavia, Illinois: Self-Made Man

Bronze statue of nude man chipping himself out of a block of stone with a hammer and chisel. Identical copies of this statue are in St. Louis and Charlotte, North Carolina.

Address:
N. River St., Batavia, IL
Directions:
On N. River St., one block north of E Wilson St., at the intersection of N. River and State St. Just east of the Fox River.
Admission:
Free
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Self-Made Man.

Self-Made Man

Bronze statue by sculptor Bobbie Carlyle of a muscular dude chipping himself out of a block of stone with a hammer and chisel. In 2011 the "self-made man" was knocked over and needed some government assistance to get back on his non-existing feet. The statue is now firmly attached to a block of granite.

[John Takao Collier, 08/12/2015]

Self-Made Man has been a fixture in Batavia since 1996. Its 2011 toppling occurred when three idiots tried to climb it to take a picture. Their attorney tried to blame the statue's foundation, but they ended up paying for its repair.


Nearby Offbeat Places

City of WindmillsCity of Windmills, Batavia, IL - < 1 mi.
Man With A Fish HeadMan With A Fish Head, Batavia, IL - < 1 mi.
Mary Todd Lincoln's Sanitarium BedMary Todd Lincoln's Sanitarium Bed, Batavia, IL - < 1 mi.
In the region:
Sock Monkey Museum, Long Grove, IL - 28 mi.

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