Saga of Mason City's Civil War Statue

KARKADOULIAS, HAMMEN, MONEIR, SCHICKEL, DUGGAN, HENKEL, ALLEN, ASKILDSON

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 5/23/2011 at 04:39:06

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Wednesday, June 2, 1999
by John Skipper

Park's Civil War statue will be done 'soon'

MASON CITY - Like a wounded soldier, Mason City's Civil War statue clings to life, the fate of its broken body resting in the hands of sculptural surgeons in a place far away - the KARKADOULIAS Bronze Art Co. in Cincinnati.

It has been there for more than three years - almost as long as the Civil War itself lasted - and the price to repair it may reach $100,000 - $57,000 more than the original estimate.

"That would be about right if you consider all the time and effort that has been put into it," said Mercene KARKADOULIAS, who owns the company. "But my main interest is the restoration of the statue, so I am willing to talk with the city about payment beyond what our last estimate was."

The first estimate to refurbish the statue was $43,000. The last estimate was $63,000. "If the city is willing to pay me more than $63,000, I would accept it," she said.

"Sixty-three thousand and not a penny more," City Administrator Chuck HAMMEN said Tuesday. "That's the agreement we made."

Mercene KARKADOULIAS said, "I oversee every square inch of every project we do and I can tell you, this will be a statue that will be enjoyed by many generations to come."

The statue, made of white bronze, depicts a Civil War soldier, and was erected in 1884. Beneath the statue were four sections in which names of Civil War veterans from North Iowa were inscribed as well as the battles in which they participated.

"It is taking a long time, but the delay is for the benefit of the monument," said Eleftherios KARKADOULIAS, Mercene's ex-husband, who is doing a lot of the work on the statue. She subcontracted the work to him after their divorce. "So I got it late," he said. "But I am working on it full time."

Workers from the KARKADOULIAS company came to Mason City on May 20, 1996, disassembled the statue into five sections, and crated it to Cincinnati for repairs. At the time, the projected time to complete the project was a few months and the projected cost was $43,000 to be paid for largely through donations.

But when the statue arrived in Cincinnati, workers discovered that the bottom sections of the statue were beyond repair. That brought the estimated cost up to $63,000. Then it was discovered that all of the inscriptions had to be redone. That has brought the estimated cost up to $100,000.

Yet more delays occurred when Mercene KARKADOULIAS was injured in an auto accident in October of 1997 and later, when she and her husband went through their divorce.

"We each have our own company now but she subcontracted the work on the statue to me because I was so familiar with it," said Eleftherios KARKADOULIAS.

"The outside of it is done. That was not a big problem," he said. "I am putting a stainless steel frame on it from top to bottom. The weight will be much better distributed and you won't have the same problem again," he said.

"You will have a work of art with the same type of construction as the Statue of Liberty."

And when will it be done?

"Soon," he said.

Mercene KARKADOULIAS said she had planned to deliver the statue this month but that work still needs to be done on the base that supports it. "I will not put this statue down on something that will not support it," she said.

The River City Society for Historical Preservation is overseeing the work on the base.

* * * *

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Tuesday, June 29, 1999
by John Skipper

Statue base is the latest chapter in statue saga

MASON CITY - City officials hope to have an estimate by the end of this week on what it will cost to repair or replace the base of the Civil War statue in Central Park.

The statue itself has been in a repair shop in Cincinnati for more than two years. Mercene KARADOULIAS, owner of KARKADOULIAS Bronze Art Co. in Cincinnati, said earlier this month that the statue repairs were near completion but that she would not ship the statue back to Mason City until extensive work was done on the base.

"I will not put this statue down on something that won't support it," she said.

Community Development Director Tarek MONEIR said he and other officials held a meeting at the request of Mayor Bill SCHICKEL on Friday to discuss what needs to be done to complete the project.

As a result of that meeting, MONEIR met Monday with John DUGGAN of the River City Society for Historical Preservation and a representative of Henkel Construction Co. The historical group had agreed to raise funds for the repair of the base. HENKEL is to provide an estimate on the repair cost.

"When the statue comes back to us, it will be much heavier than it was originally," said MONEIR. "The company wants a reinforced concrete base to support it."

KARKADOULIAS said she and City Administrator Chuck HAMMEN agreed on a price for the statue repairs of $63,000 but she said had put about $100,000 into the project. "If the city is willing to pay me more than $63,000, I would accept it," she said earlier this month.

But HAMMEN said he'll stick to the agreement: "Sixty-three thousand and not a penny more."

The statue is made of white bronze and depicts a Civil War soldier. It was erected in 1884. Beneath it, the names of Civil War veterans from North Iowa were inscribed, as well as the battles they fought in. All of that has had to be redone.

Workers from KARKADOULIAS came to Mason City on May 20, 1996, took down the statue, and carted it back to Cincinnati in five sections. At that time, the work was projected to be done in a few months at a total cost of $43,000.

* * * *

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Thursday, August 26, 1999
by John Skipper

Civil War Statue expected home soon

MASON CITY - Mason City's Civil War Statue, missing in action since May of 1996, may be back in Central Park by the end of next week, Community Development Director Tarek MONEIR said Wednesday.

He emphasized that it may be back.

"We don't want to raise false hopes, because we've waited a long time. But Mrs. KARKADOULIAS has been in touch with us to tell us the statue will be here next week," he said.

Marcene KARKADOULIAS is owner of KARKADOULIAS Bronze Art Co. of Cincinnati and has been in charge of repairing the statue. Workers from KARKADOULIAS came to Mason City on May 20, 1996, and carted the statue back to Cincinnati in five sections.

When they began work on it, they discovered many more deficiencies than they anticipated. That meant more time and more money would be needed for the repairs. The original estimate was $43,000.

Additional delays were caused by Mrs. KARKADOULIAS and her husband getting a divorce and because of an auto accident in which Mrs. KARKADOULIAS was seriously injured two years ago, she said.

While work was being done in Cincinnati, it was discovered that the base for the statue in Central Park was also in need of renovation. "I will not put the statue down on something that will not support it," she told The Globe-Gazette in June. She was not available for comment Wednesday.

The statue was constructed in 1884 and is made of white bronze. It depicts a Civil War soldier. Beneath the figure, the names of Civil War veterans from North Iowa are inscribed as well as the battles in which they fought. All of the inscriptions had to be redone which also added to the time and the cost.

The River City Society for Historic Preservation helped raise funds to repair the base of the statue. HENKEL Construction Co. of Mason City did the work, said MONEIR.

Mrs. KARKADOULIAS revised her original $43,000 estimate and told city officials that the price would be $63,000. Then in June she said she and her company had put about $100,000 into the project - and that if the city was willing to pay more than $63,000, she would accept it.

City administrator Chuck HAMMEN said the city would pay $63,000.

* * * *

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Friday, October 22, 1999
by John Skipper

Old soldier will get a grand salute

MASON CITY - It took a long time to get here and it wasn't quite right when it arrived, but all of that is now just part of the history of Mason City's Civil War monument.

The next chapter in its history will be written Saturday when the monument is rededicated during ceremonies in Central Park.

It's a "rededication" because the statue was at the KARKADOULIAS Bronze Art Co. in Cincinnati for repairs - and remained there for more than three years. In September, when the statue returned to Mason City, it was discovered some of the pieces had not been restored to the same place they had been originally.

City Council members met in special session on a Sunday morning to decide whether to send it back. They decided to keep it as it is - and Saturday, the old soldier who graces the monument will get a belated welcome home.

The festivities in Central Park will begin at 1:30 p.m. and will include recitation of part of the address that was given on May 30, 1884, when the monument was first dedicated. Also planned are cannon and gun salutes, laying of wreaths, remarks by Mayor Bill SCHICKEL, music and raising of the Union flag.

The program will include participation by the VFW honor guard, Sons of the Union Veterans, Daughters of the Union Veterans and Civil War re-enactors from the 32nd Iowa (Union), 8th Texas (Confederate) and the 3rd Iowa Light Artillery (Union).

The rededication ceremonies are sponsored by the city and by the River City Society for Historic Preservation.

First Street Northwest, between Federal and Washington avenues, will be closed for about an hour Saturday.

* * * *

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Sunday, October 24, 1999
by Michele Apppelgate

Civil war statue rededicated

MASON CITY - The rededication ceremony for the Civil War statue, recently returned to Central Park after a three-year absence for repair work, is an important part of history, according to several people who attended the ceremony Saturday afternoon.

"Today, we gather around a memorial which was dedicated to those citizens of our city who took part in the great and successful effort to unify our nation," said Mayor Bill SCHICKEL, standing before a crowd of about 200 people.

"Let it forever stand as a monument to those who took action in a time of need. Let us not only rededicate this monument to those citizens who sacrificed so much to heal this nation, let us also rededicate it as a symbol of unification. As it stands so majestically in this beautiful setting in the middle of our city, let us also dedicate it as a symbol of citizen involvement, of unification for the betterment of all of us, and as a symbol against divisiveness for division sake."

There has been division over the statue.

The statue was removed three years ago for repairs. Upon its return to Mason City this summer, it was discovered that some of the pieces had not been restored to their original place. City council members met in special session on a Sunday morning to decide if the statue should be returned to the Ohio company that did the project. After discussion, the council decided to keep it as it is.

Terry ALLEN, an active Civil War re-enactment supporter, said he was pleased to have the statue back in Mason City, even though the statue had not been repaired correctly.

"I believe in making things historically correct, but to me, this is not a big deal," ALLEN said before the ceremony began Saturday. What is important to ALLEN, he said, is that people understand the importance of remembering the soldiers who gave their lives to protect the American citizens.

"I am a son of a Union veteran," he said. "My great, great, great grandfather was a Union soldier," he said. "We benefit today because of their fight . . . We should never forget the sacrifices they made. They gave their life so we could be free."

Civil War re-enactor John DUGGAN of Mason City coordinated the rededication ceremony. "It's important to rededicate this statue," he said. "We need to remember their sacrifice, for all veterans."

Pat ASKILDSON of Mason City has been a member of the Daughters of the Union Veterans as long as she can remember, just as the many women in her family before her.

"We are part of Tent 42 of Mason City, which was established in 1927. And my grandmother was a charter member," she said. Groups such as hers work year-round on patriotic activities. "We do it out of respect, to remember what they gave."

Remembering the Civil War is a little different than other wars, she said. "It was the bloodiest battle. And it was kin against kin," she said.

ASKILDSON said she was disappointed about the mistakes made while renovating the Civil War statue. "I was disappointed, but I am glad it's back."

Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, May of 2011

Cerro Gordo Documents maintained by Lynn Diemer-Mathews.
WebBBS 4.33 Genealogy Modification Package by WebJourneymen