Hiawatha restoration fundraising effort begins

By TOM STANKARD

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Ironwood - Like-minded area residents formed a group to raise money to completely restore the Hiawatha statue.

Peter Sturgul and John Rudberg, both of Ironwood, formed the group with the goal of raising $25,000. The Ironwood Chamber of Commerce, with its existing Hiawatha capital account, would continue to serve as the repository for all donations.

Ironwood Chamber of Commerce Director Michael Meyer said he is proud that residents are taking pride in their city. "Look at where the money is coming from; it's coming from local people who have come to value the Hiawatha statue and what it represents to the community," he said.

Now more than 50 years old, the "world's largest and tallest indian" would have its structure refurbished, surface cleaned, and repainted to original colors, along with new identifying and directional signs constructed to better identify the location of the landmark.

Over the years, Meyer said the Hiawatha statue has become an important part of the city's "stoic" history and it's important to "fix it up."

When Hiawatha was constructed, Meyer said Charles Gotta Sr., a prime mover to get the statue, intended for it to be a city attraction.

According to the city of Ironwood, Hiawatha was built in Minneapolis in 1964, transported here and erected in the caves area on the site of the Old Norrie Iron Mine.

Hiawatha rises into the "giant" category at 52 feet and weighs eight tons. The statue is engineered to withstand 140 mph winds.

As time has changed, Meyer said the statue today reminds people of the interactions between Native Americans and incoming Europeans.

To raise awareness of the statue, Sturgul said the group plans to make brochures and put up signs on U.S. 2.

When the statue is restored, Meyer said older generations will remember what it looked like.

If not restored soon, Sturgul said it's going to further degrade and require more extensive repairs.