I'm surprised the boys from Michigan haven't posted pictures of themselves with this rugged boy yet. He's at Belle Isle Park in Detroit. Rough looking feller.

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Never much cared for the slouch hat but I do like the way this trooper is sporting his. Neat.

Actually, the memorial on Belle Isle honors Detroit's Sailors, Marines, and Soldiers.
The soldier on the memorial was likely inspired by Detroit Light Guard & Detroit Light Infantry men, who served in the 31st Michigan Vol. Inf. during SAW conflict.

Other SAW Memorials in Michigan, that come to mind, are a captured Spanish cannon at Three Oaks, Michigan, and a mortar from the "Moro Castle" on the University of Michigan Campus.

BTW - Belle Isle was Detroit's 'Common' during the French and British Colonial Period.
British Lt. Governor, Henry Hamilton, assembled troops and militia on Belle Isle, before embarking on his campaign to the Wabash country. Resulting in Hamilton's defeat and surrender at Vincennes, to a force of Virginians, lead by George Rodgers Clark.

The old French name for the island was "Hog Island". The island was infested with Mississauga Rattlesnakes which were exterminated by free ranging Pigs.

Belle Isle Park has not returned to its early 1900's glory, but, it is enhanced by current State Park status and management.

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Belle Isle was a frequent Sunday afternoon excursion in our family when I was young.  There is an excellent museum dedicated to shipping on the Great Lakes - The Dossin Great Lakes Museum, which I've always loved.  There is also a beautiful botanical garden and an excellent aquarium to boot.  Once upon a time, there was even a really good Zoo. 

There was a period of time in the 90's when the Island was starting to go to pot... so to speak, with lots of gang bangers taking over.  However, the island park has seen a resurgence in popularity recently and is going through some revitalizations and restorations (Dossin is going through a complete makeover).

Funny, I don't remember the memorial.  Guess this spring I'll have to venture out there and take a selfie with it!

Doing a little more research, this statue was designed by an American sculptor, Allen George Newman. The statue was called "The Hiker". Several cast bronze models were made at 9 foot, 7 foot and smaller. They can be found in many states. See the link below. And....there is one in Ypsilanti, Michigan! Anybody know somebody from there?  ;) It is at the intersection of Packard/Washtenaw and Forest Street.

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Nothing with Krag Rifles is easy .... two statues, by different sculptors, both called "The Hiker"!

The one most of us are familiar with is by Theodora Alice Ruggles Kitson; it appears on the dust jacket of Franklin Mallory's book, "The Krag Rifle Story".

There are at least 50 Kitson 'The Hiker' statues across the country. The original from 1906 is at the University of Minnesota.
One stands at the entry way to Arlington National Cemetery.
Michigan has Kitson's 'Hiker' at Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and at our Lansing Capitol grounds. There is a beautifully situated one at Lucas County Ohio.

The other, "The Hiker" is by Allen George Newman. The first full-size one was displayed in a temporary exhibit at the New York State Building in 1907.
There are at least 21 Newman 'Hiker' statues across the country.
The one on Detroit's Belle Isle was done in 1932. Newman also did the accompanying Sailor statue.

IMHO - Newman wins on 'realism', especially in the detail of his Krag rifle!
Newman also did a relief of the Hiker with the U.S.S. Maine in the background.

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Knute1 wrote on Jan 4^th, 2020 at 3:45am:

And....there is one in Ypsilanti, Michigan! Anybody know somebody from there?  ;) It is at the intersection of Packard/Washtenaw and Forest Street.

Looks like I'm going for a drive!  I believe that's on the campus of Eastern Michigan University... or very close to it!

Careful around that Ypsilanti "Water Tower" .... they should put a Fez, on that thing!

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It might be interesting to see a readable picture of the plaque at the base of the statue in Ypsilanti.

Here you go 'Knute'.

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OH .... I guess 'Knute' meant the "Hiker" statue.

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That'll do!

That  Ypsilanti "Water Tower" looks more like it needs a condom instead of a Fez.

Here’s what I’ve found on Wikipedia about ‘The Hiker’. There’s a bunch of them. Would love a shelf sized copy to go with my other Span Am memorabilia. Don’t know why it’s hard to read.

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I like both sculptures, but, prefer the 'rugged' Newman figure (and his 'gun handling') over the 'more youthful' Kitson rendering.

There must be a simple explanation as to why both sculptors used the same name, ("The Hiker"), on their work?

BTW - Newman had died, in February, 1940, prior to his Ypsilanti work's dedication in May, 1940.

At the 1940 Ypsilanti "Hiker" dedication, Members of all 12 Companies of the 31st Michigan Vol. Inf. Regiment were present, marking their 41st USWV - Reunion.

A young man, Grant Pierce, was dressed in his father's SAW uniform, (Walter C. Pierce - Musician), and assisted in the unveiling.

(A lot of the content of 'Speeches' at the Dedication, involved the danger of World events in 1940 and a desire to remain out of the foreign wars).

Ypsilanti's "Hiker" statue was deteriorating by the 1990's and underwent restoration in September, 2005, to stabilize it.

Ypsilanti, Michigan, is named after Greek General Demetrius Ypsilanti. The new Michigan village took the name in 1825, in admiration of a man fighting for Greece independence from the Turkish Empire.

Rather comically, a bust of General Ypsilanti sits in front of the 'phallic water tower', mercifully with his back toward it.
Across the street, "The Hiker" stands with a good view of the brick ... ummm ... structure.

Local legend has it that, when a "Virgin" graduates from Eastern Michigan University, the tower will collapse!

'Ypsilanti People' reflect a lot of Michigan Humor!

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Here’s a few of my SAW curiosities. A TR bobble head, a Span Am War veterans cemetery memorial, a neat NRA sculpture and a haversack that actually has a provenance to a Capt W.E Horton A.Q.M. If you believe his name on the back of the haversack is legit. Wouldn’t know why it wouldn’t be. I added a mess kit and dinnerware for it.

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Some Ypsilanti "Hiker" restoration pictures. There were holes and some 'collapse' in the statue:

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That "hiker" gets around. Here he is at the bohemian national cemetary on the northwest side of chicago. The statue is 8'5" tall and weighs 1600 pounds. He stands on a wassau red granite boulder. It was dedicated in 1926.

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The Chicago cemetery has the 'Kitson' version.

It appears both sculptors were influenced by Frederick Remington sketches from the Cuban Campaign and U.S. Forces having to 'hoof it' (Hike) during the taking of Havana and the encirclement of Santiago.

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For $14,500 you can have your very own 28.5" tall Newman statue, while supplies last.

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And here is "The Skirmisher" in Binghamton, NY with his Trapdoor. Another SAW memorial.

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The "Skirmisher" is pretty spectacular!

These pictures from the Philippines would have made some good statue subjects - "The Swimmers" and "The Pathfinders".

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An explanation for two SAW statues called "The Hiker":

THE STATUE IS CALLED THE HIKER. THERE ARE TWO STYLES AND BOTH INSTALLED IN NUMEROUS LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES. BOTH STATUES ARE DEDICATED TO THE U.S. SOLDIERS WHO FOUGHT IN THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR. THESE VETERANS CALLED THEMSELVES HIKERS, IN THE SAME WAY THE WORLD WAR I VETS WERE CALLED DOUGHBOYS AND WORLD WAR II VETS WERE CALLED G.I. JOES.

Here is another SAW statue memorial in Milwaukee, WI. He is also holding a Krag rifle.

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Neat Knute! I think he should be called "The Gawker".  ;D

(I never heard that SAW Soldiers referred to themselves as "Hikers". That is pretty cool, if true. They certainly couldn't call themselves "Yanks" in 1898)!

Hey, here's an idea for a statue. It would be appropriate along the route from Missoula to St. Louis to honor the 25th Infantry: "The Biker".

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The "Gawker" looks like he could certainly stare a person down. He's got his bayonet, canteen and knapsack.

I am not sure about "The Hiker" theory, I found it on one website and will need to find further evidence to collaborate it.

Here is another website to collaborate that the term "hiker" as being the name SAW infantry referred to each other. Who'd a thunk it?

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And another website:

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butlersrangers wrote on Jan 7^th, 2020 at 11:20pm:

Careful around that Ypsilanti "Water Tower" .... they should put a Fez, on that thing!

You DO know that they call it the "Big (nickname for Richard)"!  BTW, it's one of the oldest water towers in Michigan!

I have seen references to Ypsilanti's Brick "Rick".  :D

I reckon Milwaukee could have been a bit more careful with their structures, too! (Now I understand the statue's 'worried' expression).

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Albany, New York, has a handsome 1928 statue, (also called "The Hiker"), by a local sculptor, transplanted Scottish Artist, David Cunningham Lithgow.

I read part of a 2014 dissertation, by Sarah Denver Beetham, written as part of her Doctorate of Philosophy in Art History, University of Delaware. ("Sculpting the Citizen Soldier: Reproduction and National Memory 1865-1917".

Ms. Beetham noted the name "Hiker" was not the name initially applied to the works of Newman and Kitson, (nor did the term appear to be in use during the Cuba & Puerto Rico actions).

She wrote that the term "Hiker", (as applied to SAW soldiers), likely developed later. It probably originated from the drawn out campaigns in the Philippines, to suppress the Insurrection, with arduous marches ("Hikes") through mountainous and jungle terrain.

Ms. Beetham noted some lyrics from a "Hiking in the Philippines" song:

"At your breakfast don't you hurry / eat another dish of beans; / For you'll need it - don't you worry / Hiking in the Philippines!"

BTW - Newman copyrighted his sculpture as: "The Hiker", in 1911.

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I would say that this Kitson statue of "The Hiker" has the most meaning to me. It is located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin at Hiker Park and was dedicated in 1939. My Great Grandfather, who lived in Oshkosh and Stevens Point, fought in the Philippines and China. He belonged to a local American Legion Post and died in 1946. I can imagine that he was at the dedication. Now that I have just discovered that this exists I will need to visit it when seeing a brother and sister that live within 20 miles of it.

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Oshkosh has a beautifully sited SAW Memorial, by gosh!

I drove past the Ypsilanti Hiker statue today.  It's right where I thought it was... about 100 yards west of the Big *ick (Ypsilanti Water Tower) on the south edge of the Eastern Michigan University campus.  If it hadn't been pouring rain, I would have stopped and snapped a picture or two.  Maybe later this week, I'll have a chance...  :)

A Marine with his Krag in New Haven, Ct.

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Hiker (not a Newman or Kitson) from Yonkers, NY.

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The detail on that Krag is amazing! I can almost read the serial number!

A Rough Rider in Prescott, AZ.

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A truly beautiful piece of bronze. You know it’s only a matter of time before some disgruntled group of hispanics decide that these statues are an insult to their revered ancestors who were oppressed and perished because of American colonialism in Cuba and Puerto Rico and demand that they be taken down and want to be compensated for their collective pain. Just saying. But in all seriousness why isn't Puerto Rico a state?

Visited the Ypsilanti, MI "Hiker" statue today!

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Paul - Did you bring a can of "Brasso" and some rags to polish his U.S. Buckle?

Good Timing .... It would be funny if the Sun's position cast the shadow of the Water Tower in your direction ..... or if we saw the Tower reflected in your lenses!  ;D

Paul,

You missed a good opportunity to have your picture taken in front of that statue holding your Krag rifle in your hands!

Nice pictures. Thanks for posting them.

Sadly, we would all be 'kicking in' money for "The Paul Steinmayer Legal Defense Fund", if he posed with a Krag at that location.

Eastern Michigan University would have gone into "lock-down".

If he claimed he was a relative of Hitlery Clinton, he would be let off Scot-Free!

I'm with BR, he deserves a good cleaning. But I don't know if it would have any affect on condition.

I did contemplate having my wife snap a picture of me with my Krag emulating The Hiker in pose... but as Chuck pointed out, it's EMU grounds, and as such, I'd be singing the jailbird blues!  Now I bet I could contact the local Sheriff's dept (I know a few of them) and asked them if I could take a picture with my 120 year old rifle at the statue. I'm sure I would get support, and possibly even an escort/witness/protection for my picture!  Something I might try when the weather is nicer.

There’s always photoshop.

That would be a great picture to frame and hang in your Man's Cave if you can get it done!

Maybe the KCA Members could do a 'Virginia Style Rally' at Ypsilanti's Hiker Statue?

We missed yesterday's, "Remember The Maine", opportunity.

Maybe Paul can organize it for next February 15th!

(There goes E.M.U.'s "Safe Space").

Paul: We could be headed for another cold snap.

Why don't you stop and get a pair of these for the "Hiker"?  .... maybe get a pair for yourself!

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