Pekin, Illinois: Strange Everett Dirksen Statue
Mineral Springs Park
- Address:
- Pavilion Drive, Pekin, IL
- Directions:
- Mineral Springs Park. From IL-9/Court St., turn north at the stoplight onto 14th St. Drive past the lake, then bear right into the park. You'll immediately see the statue on the left.
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Everett Dirksen was a U.S. Senator; Pekin was his hometown. At the feet of his bronze statue lurk a creepy-looking half-human elephant and donkey. Behind Dirksen's back they hold hands, but their fingers are crossed. Sculpted by Carl Tolpo in 1975, but not unveiled in Pekin until 1987.
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According to the statue's plaque, Dirksen is rendered "in an oratorical stance," and the cartoonish Republican elephant and Democrat donkey at his feet "signify the Senator's belief in the progress possible through bipartisanship."
[Bryan Grondfeldt, 03/17/2025]Nearby Offbeat Places
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