McKinley statue between 1905 and 1910.

Recycled McKinley, Was Columbus

Chicago, Illinois

A green-with-age President McKinley stands atop a pedestal, staring off into a park that bears his name, ready to give a speech to anyone who remembers him. Sculpted by Charles J. Mulligan, unveiled on July 4, 1905, the statue almost didn't get made for a lack of funds -- until the Chicago Parks Commission came up with the ingenious idea of melting down a statue of Christopher Columbus that nobody liked, and turning it into a McKinley.

Mulligan's McKinley is not the typical representation of this President, but a younger, thinner McKinley -- as he looked in 1890, delivering a speech to Congress in defense of his proposed Tariff Act. The legislation passed, the party bosses took note, and six years later McKinley was President.