History has a "Little Surprise"



Top Statue "Defense of the Flag" Bottom Statue "The Child, theParent and theBook"

While taking a photo of the bottom pic at my local library, I just thought I would do a little research on it. Come to find out the man who designed The Child the Parent and the Book went to Jackson High School and graduated in 1947. Now, the statue in the top pic was by Lorado Taft and was paid by General Withington, a civil war general from Jackson Michigan to honor the men from Jackson who served in the Civil War, I think the 1st and 17th Infantry of Jackson. Well Freeman Schoolcraft who designed the Library statue met Lorado Taft while he was in town to dedicate the Foote Memorial. Schoolcraft showed Taft some of his work and Taft was so impressed that he gave Schoolcraft an Apprenticeship in Chicago. Schoolcraft remained in Chicago for 40 years teaching at Art Institute of Chicago,the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. In 1982 the Director of the Jackson Library asked Schoolcraft to make a sculpture for the library. Schoolcraft completed the clay model but died in 1983, however his wife took the clay model and had it made into a statue with help from a Foundry in Yipsilanti. What I find interesting is the "Defense of the Flag" statue by Taft is only about 200 feet west of Schoolcraft's statue and I never knew that the student had decided to design a statue so close to his teachers statue. Sort of like Honoring the teacher, himself and the library all at the same time.