Statue in Ogle County likely to spend winter under wraps

OREGON, Ill. (AP) - A well-known Ogle County statue will likely spend another winter encased in protective material to prevent weathering.

Illinois Department of Natural Resources spokesman Chris Young tells the Daily Gazette (http://bit.ly/2cPpMDO ) the Black Hawk statue will likely be covered in mid-November. The Lorado Taft statue is in Lowden State Park.

The 50-foot statue was unveiled in 1911. Despite numerous repair efforts, parts of the statue have crumbled and fallen off over the years, particularly due to winter weather.

Sterling residents Frank and Cherron Rausa formed the nonprofit Friends of the Black Hawk Statue nearly eight years ago to develop a plan and raise funds for its repair.

The statue spent 1ˆ½ years wrapped in protective mesh around scaffolding that was erected in December 2014. The material came down in June.

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Information from: The Daily Gazette, http://www.saukvalley.com