J. Fitzhugh Thornton Memorial
In 1912, the J.L. Mott Iron Works of New York designed and produced this sculpture of an eastern Woodlands Indian. This sculpture acquired the name Tecumseh from the Shawnee intertribal leader who led the resistance against white expansion into the Ohio region. Its zinc composition and cast-iron pedestal make this work a unique piece in the city. Only eight others like it have survived in the United States.
A gift from Eliza Thornton in memory of her husband J. FitzhughThornton, this quaint statue in Thornton Triangle, (Cincinnati's smallest park), has seen much misfortune over the years. It was partially submerged in the great flood of 1937. Three years later, after being struck by a car, the city sold the sculpture for $10 to an antique dealer in Indiana. Outraged Sayler Park residents vowed to find and return the Indian to its pedestal. After several months, the sculpture was located and returned toThornton Triangle.
