Statue #17: Andrew Johnson

Rapid City, South Dakota

Andrew Johnson (1865-1869) rose to the presidency only because his predecessor, Abraham Lincoln, was killed. Johnson had the unbecoming habit of making everyone mad at him, and sculptor James Van Nuys captured this by having Johnson stand, alone, with shoulders slumped and a glum expression. His hands hold a U.S. map torn in two, symbolizing the aftermath of the Civil War that Johnson's bumbling presidency only made worse.

Amazing Arcana of the Presidents

Johnson grew up so poor that his mother sold him into indentured servitude -- a kind of "slavery lite" -- for ten years.

[Discover more fascinating details in the Roadside Presidents iPhone app!]

City of Presidents

Since 2000, Rapid City has commissioned and installed bronze statues of every former U.S. President on its downtown street corners. Visitors are encouraged to take a walking tour of the City of Presidents and inspect the nation's metallic Commanders in Chief. Paper guides are available year-round at the city's main Visitor Center at 512 Main St.