Photo: T. Perry Wesley, Owen-Spencer Chamber of Commerce.
SPENCER, INDIANA
(Where sculptor E. M. Viquesney was born in 1876, lived most of his life, died in 1946, and is buried.)
N 39° 17.151 / W 086° 45.746
Copyright version 1920, pressed copper.
Smithsonian Art Inventory Control Number: 47260033.
Copyright version 1920, pressed copper.
Smithsonian Art Inventory Control Number: 47260033.
On northwest corner of Owen County Courthouse lawn and square.
The front plaque inscription reads:
IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION
OF THE
PATRIOTIC SERVICE
RENDERED BY
THE MEN AND WOMEN OF
OWEN COUNTY
DURING THE WORLD WAR
1917-1918
A plaque inscription on the back of the base reads:
THIS TABLET IS ERECTED
IN MEMORY OF THESE MEN OF
OWEN COUNTY
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
IN THE WORLD WAR
1914-1918
(followed by list of names)
IN GRATEFUL RECOGNITION
OF THE
PATRIOTIC SERVICE
RENDERED BY
THE MEN AND WOMEN OF
OWEN COUNTY
DURING THE WORLD WAR
1917-1918
A plaque inscription on the back of the base reads:
THIS TABLET IS ERECTED
IN MEMORY OF THESE MEN OF
OWEN COUNTY
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES
IN THE WORLD WAR
1914-1918
(followed by list of names)
A later plaque on the side of the base lists those missing or killed in action during World War II.
The monument was funded by public subscription and dedicated Sunday, May 27, 1927 during the annual G.A.R. Decoration Day Service. A parade formed on Main Street and marched to the cemetery for speeches and decoration of graves. It then reformed and marched back to the courthouse square for the unveiling of the statue. The statue was presented by Beaver Club representative Howard Briceland to American Legion Post Commander Elmer Call, who accepted in on behalf of the county citizens (see below regarding the Beaver Club). Mr. Briceland then called on E.M. Viquesney, the sculptor and a Spencer resident, for a few remarks. After music and group singing by the crowd of 3,500 in attendance, the cords that drew the flags from the statue were drawn by Mrs. W.A. Highet, whose son was killed in the war, and Mrs. Wm. Call, whose son was the first Owen Countian to be killed in it.
The stone base on which the statue stands was quarried at Romona, taken to Bedford where it was milled, and returned to Spencer in the spring of 1926.
A coat of gold paint was applied to the statue at the same time the Owen County Courthouse dome was painted in 1983.
In 1994, the Courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The filed application contained many references to the statue and E. M. Viquesney and his many contributions to Spencer, which were perhaps helpful in gaining this recognition.
During Memorial Day weekend, 2001, a memorial was dedicated along a nearby walk to honor those who served in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
Spencer was also the home of T. Perry Wesley, who accumulated what was at the time of his death, the world’s greatest knowledge and file of information about Viquesney and his "Spirit of The American Doughboy." Mr. Wesley died June 4, 2001, just 25 days before his 96th birthday. His health was such that he was not able to be present a few days earlier for the Memorial Day dedication mentioned above.
The Owen County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places, and thus this Doughboy, which stands on the courthouse grounds, can also be considered to be on the Register by default.
In 1994, the Courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The filed application contained many references to the statue and E. M. Viquesney and his many contributions to Spencer, which were perhaps helpful in gaining this recognition.
During Memorial Day weekend, 2001, a memorial was dedicated along a nearby walk to honor those who served in the Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
Spencer was also the home of T. Perry Wesley, who accumulated what was at the time of his death, the world’s greatest knowledge and file of information about Viquesney and his "Spirit of The American Doughboy." Mr. Wesley died June 4, 2001, just 25 days before his 96th birthday. His health was such that he was not able to be present a few days earlier for the Memorial Day dedication mentioned above.
The Owen County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places, and thus this Doughboy, which stands on the courthouse grounds, can also be considered to be on the Register by default.
* * *
Around 3:00 in the morning of November 8, 2008, the statue was vandalized. The bayonet blade was broken off, and the end of the rifle bent. The total damage was estimated at over $10,000. Thanks to security cameras, three suspects were arrested, and the bayonet blade recovered. Two of the suspects pled guilty in August, 2009 with each receiving jail time, fines equal to one-third of the damages ($3,570), and 32 hours per month of community service to veterans for one year. One suspect was also sentenced to electronic home monitoring for one year. The third suspect chose to go to trial.
 The vandalized Doughboy statue at Spencer, Indiana. The gold paint was applied in 1983. Photos: Travis Curry, Spencer Evening World. |
 16 months later, restoration was finished, with the work done by Adam Nahas of
Cyclops Studios, Bloomington, Indiana. |
SPENCER, INDIANA'S "PHANTOM" DOUGHBOY
Besides the Doughboy in front of the courthouse, there may have been one more in Spencer, at least temporarily. After Viquesney moved his studio to his residence in 1939, it was known there was a full-size cast zinc version of his Doughboy statue standing inside for some time as a sales display. It's pictured at left from the Indianapolis Sunday Star, February 11, 1940. Apparently it was lent out to other towns to feature in patriotic holiday parades such as July 4, Memorial Day, and Armistice Day (now Veterans Day). We suspect this because of a photo we received from Stanley Griffith, who grew up working in Viquesney's Tivoli Theatre. Stan sent us a 1939 photo of this same model Doughboy mounted on a truck parading down Sale Street in the town of Ellettsville, Indiana - except Ellettsville doesn't, and never did have, a "Spirit of the American Doughboy". Since Ellettsville is just few miles from Spencer, it's very likely this is the Doughboy that stood in Viquesney's studio and was out on loan for whatever Ellettsville was celebrating that day.
Whatever became of this Doughboy isn't known for certain. It may have ended up at any of the locations of this version that were placed after February, 1940. We do know there was a full-size "Spirit of the American Doughboy" listed among the effects of Viquesney's estate sale in 1947.
It's also known that if a sales deal fell through, Viquesney would offer the unsold Doughboy at a discount to another prospective customer; in the meantime, it may have stood on display in his studio, like this one, so there may have been a series of these statues on display in Viquesney's studio over the years.
Whatever became of this Doughboy isn't known for certain. It may have ended up at any of the locations of this version that were placed after February, 1940. We do know there was a full-size "Spirit of the American Doughboy" listed among the effects of Viquesney's estate sale in 1947.
It's also known that if a sales deal fell through, Viquesney would offer the unsold Doughboy at a discount to another prospective customer; in the meantime, it may have stood on display in his studio, like this one, so there may have been a series of these statues on display in Viquesney's studio over the years.
Below: Stan Griffith shot this interesting picture of a 1939 photo on display inside a historic building window in the town of Ellettsville, Indiana (you can see reflections in the window glass). It had us going for a while, thinking perhaps this was an undiscovered Viquesney Doughboy. But it's probably the same one Viquesney kept in his Spencer studio as a sales display, and lent out for nearby towns like Ellettsville to feature in patriotic holiday parades.
Viquesney's Doughboy parades down Sale Street in Ellettsville, Indiana. Photo: Stanley Griffith, Ellettsville.
