Missouri Guard Considers Moving Roadside Statue
JEFFERSON CITY - A life-sized bronze sculpture of a militiaman soon could be moved from a small park just off U.S. 50 in western Jefferson City.
The Jefferson City News-Tribune reports that the Spanish-American War memorial was installed at its current site in 1967. Roadside parks were heavily used by the motoring public at the time, making them a popular setting for memorials and markers.
But while the park once was a favorite place for family picnics or a last stop before entering the city, the once rural site is in the heart of a commercial neighborhood.
That's why the Guard's Museum of Missouri Military History may relocate it to a more publicly accessible location on the Ike Skelton Training Site. But some Jefferson City and Cole County officials are voicing opposition.