Part of the park · 1943 and 2002
Lady Liberty
Unveiled by twins in 1943, ruined by vandals in the 1960s, recast in bronze in 2002.
The story
Pioneer Charles A. Sells owned a wooden Liberty he said Bartholdi had carved as a working model. The Sioux Falls Garden Club raised the money by public subscription, Sells presented a bill of sale to Mayor C. M. Whitfield, and on August 1, 1943, twins Thelma and Elma Iverson unveiled it before several thousand people. During the war it was where servicemen stationed in the city brought their sweethearts on moonlit nights.
Vandals ruined the wooden figure in the 1960s. On July 22, 2002, a bronze Liberty Enlightening the World by sculptor Serguei Iourov was dedicated on the restored fieldstone pedestal.
Photographs: Photograph by Jerry Fisher, 2005, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Photograph courtesy John Lommen, about 1957, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
At a glance
| Wooden statue | Dedicated August 1, 1943 |
|---|---|
| Paid for by | Sioux Falls Garden Club subscription |
| Bronze | Dedicated July 22, 2002 |
| Sculptor | Serguei Iourov |
| Pedestal | Fieldstone, restored 2002 |
Questions: Sioux Falls Parks and Recreation, 605-367-7060.
The marker, in full
Lady Liberty
Erected 2003 by Dr. John Wichtman and the Minnehaha County Historical Society · HMdb · All seven markers
Lady Liberty first graced McKennan Park in 1942 although the statue was not formally dedicated until August 1, 1943. As several thousand watched, twins Thelma and Elma Iverson unveiled a wood carving of the Statue of Liberty. The statue had been owned by pioneer Charles A. Sells who said that it was carved as a model by Frederic A. Bartholdi, sculptor of the Statue of Liberty located on Liberty Island, New York City.
A public subscription conducted by the Sioux Falls Garden Club raised funds to buy
the carving, and Sells presented a bill of sale to Mayor C.M. Whitfield. Years later the statue was removed because of vandalism.
On October 28, 1886, when accepting the gift of the original Lady Liberty from France for America, President Grover Cleveland said, "We will not forget that Liberty has here made her home: nor shall her chosen altar be neglected."
The new bronze replica of the Statue of Liberty was place on the restored stone pedestal in 2002 returning Lady Liberty to McKennan Park once again.
County Historical Society in Memory of Dr. Verlynne and Suzanne Volin.
Keep walking
Next parts of the park.
Pillars of the Nation
Stone from all forty-eight states, stacked at the 26th Street entrance while the war came on.
The Helen McKennan bust
The donor in bronze, by Martin Wanserski, placed near the playground for the centennial.
The wading pool
Free since 1929. The fourth pool on the site opened May 29, 2026, with a slide, sprays and a new bathhouse.