Art in the Park

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

STORY BY PATRICIA BRADY
PHOTOS BY ADELE HODDE

It was one of those late spring storms. May 18, 1999, to be exact, when the winds roared through the 1850s-era Amboy Green River City Park. That storm damaged or destroyed 50 to 60 of the venerable old trees.

For us old-timers, it was a real loss, as we had seen our children grow up playing in that park. We had picnicked there and watched the 4th of July fireworks. I can even recall country fairs there with harness races, and the tennis matches and roller skating with high school friends.

"It's kind of a blow," the Amboy News quoted Mayor Hank Gerdes as saying. "We'll clean it up and plant some trees and move on."

Because of an act of Mother Nature, Amboy is now home to one of the more unique parks in the state—an art gallery of sorts.

Well, the city did more than that. It provided for a wonderful tribute to our heritage and a place where day travelers can come and enjoy a day in the out-of-doors.

In fact, if you're looking for a family outing, the Amboy Green River City Park, open from April to November, is the place to go, because not only did the city clean up the trees and move on, it moved in an ingenious direction.

On Tuesday, June 29, 1999, former Amboy residents Bob and Marie Boyer, called "The Chain Saw Two," began carving the trees and the leftover, salvageable wood into magnificent sculptures. The city fathers had decided the trees could be used as memorials to the loved ones of Amboy residents or memorials for a variety of organizations.

To date, the park's bigger-than-life tree carvings recognize the Amboy Chamber of Commerce with a Native American, the Amboy Central School with a carving of school children, and the Depot Museum Historical Society with a depot and roundhouse. The Ron Hargitt family commissioned a train. The First National Bank honored the memory of Illinois Senator David Shapiro with a sculpture. The William and Aileen Morrissey family honored their farming background with a sculpture of a farmer; the Amboy Fire Department with a fireman; the Louis Scott family with a railroad man. The Amboy Lions Club's carving is a large lion; the Green

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Bob and Marle Boyer (I) skillfully fashion the likeness of carpenter Bernie Bushman with their chain saws, while the author (above) admires the completed sculpture of a farmer and his animals.

River Saddle Club, a horse; Amboy Park Board presented a sculpture of presidents. The Floyd I. Boyer family commissioned a wildlife collage; the Olive Shaw Evitts descendants, a pioneer woman; Poth-Lavell American Legion and Auxiliary commissioned a war memorial.

These are the sculptures to date that have been memorialized. I was told anyone wishing to memorialize one of the remaining sculptures may do so.

Amboy is on Rt. 52 and can be easily reached from either I-88 on the north, or I-80 on the south. If you are coming from the north, turn left on Main Street in Amboy, and right, if coming from the south.

Plan to spend a peaceful day. There are good facilities for picnicking, playground equipment for the children and adequate restroom facilities. Be sure and notice the old brick street running to the park entrance from the downtown area and some of the remaining beautiful old homes dating back to the mid-1870s. Imagine the setting in years gone by, when the streetcar came down this same Main Street on its way to Lee Center and the small towns to the east.

If you venture downtown, you will find a monument to Abraham Lincoln, who visited Amboy several times. There is a plaque honoring the Mormons, who came through here in the 1850s after they left Nauvoo. There is another plaque stating the first Carson Pirie Scott retail business was started in Amboy before moving to Chicago. Any native can point you in the direction of the plaques.

So pack up the kids and the picnic basket, gas up the car and head for Amboy to enjoy a day of sightseeing like you won't find anywhere else in the area.

Patricia Brady, originally from Amboy, resided across the street from the city park where her children played and gained a love of the outdoors.

October 2001

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Taking the Census

Located in Lee County northwest of LaSalle between Mendota and Dixon, you'll find the city of Amboy. New census figures indicate its population has increased by 78 individuals to 2,455. Add to that, 21 new figural wood carvings at the Green River City Park.

When a disastrous storm struck Amboy in May 1999, many of the park's beautiful trees were severely damaged. Thanks to ingenuity on the part of the townspeople and the skill of two talented chainsaw woodcarvers, Amboy residents now have a memorial garden of sorts.

Bob and Marie Bernardin Boyer of Marseilles, a dynamic chainsaw-carving duo who happen to be husband and wife, grew up in Amboy. Together, they have spent 16 months turning shattered shade trees into works of art. Here's a little background information about some of their sculptures.

• Baseball player—Baseball has been a popular sport in Amboy for 75 years. Near its ball diamond, a 6-foot-tall baseball player sports number four on his shirt. This was Lou Gehrig's number, and Gehrig was a relative of Marie Boyer.

• Farmer—Lifelong farmer Willie Morrissey's likeness is represented in this carving of a 7-foot-tall farmer. Morrissey and his wife, Aileen Brady Morrissey, raised 12 children. The carving pays tribute to all farmers who provide for their families and others.

• Bear—Symbolizing "Bear Country," this 10-foot-tall likeness honors the Chicago Bears football team, which has many loyal fans in the Amboy area.

• Fireman—Based on the famous newspaper picture of the fireman holding the baby at the time of the Oklahoma City bombing, this 8-foot-tall carving sports a fire truck and an ambulance at the foot of the statue.

• Lion—This 6-foot-tall carving of a lion pays tribute to the Lions Club, which has been active in the community since 1948.

• Horse—In the 1950s and 60s, many a horse show was held at the site, as were harness races in the early 1900s.

• Eagles—The magnificent grouping of three American eagles soars 12 feet into the air. The eagle is the national symbol.

• Three American presidents— Ulysses S. Grant, Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan constitute Amboy's version of Mt. Rushmore. All three presidents visited Amboy. In fact, Reagan grew up in neighboring Dixon and sent Amboy's Mayor Hank Gerdes a thank you

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note when he learned about his likeness in the park.

• Wildlife—The carvings depict some of nature's creatures found in the area. All-in-all, eight are represented: the owl, raccoon, cardinal (Illinois state bird), squirrel, butterfly, rabbit, fox and frog.

• Pioneer woman—This carving is a likeness of Olive Ann Shaw Evitts, who came to Amboy as a baby in 1846. She married Charles H. Evitts, a civil war veteran, and was the county's oldest resident at the time of her death in 1940.

• Nurse—This carving represents all nurses who dedicate their lives to helping others.

• World War II soldier—Although it depicts WWII, this carving salutes all soldiers, men and women alike, who served their country.

• School boy and girl—This carving demonstrates how times have changed in the classroom. The boy represents the schooling of today, while the girl is modeled after the 1950s era.

• Indian—This carving pays tribute to the great influence the early Indian tribes had upon the land. There were two Pottawatomie tribe villages in Lee County, Paw Paw Village and Shabbona Village, which extended into DeKalb County as well.

• Railroad conductor—The inspiration for this carving was Louie Scott, 105, who worked for the railroad for 32 years. At its unveiling in August 2000, Scott reportedly remarked, 'some day, I'm going to look just like that.'

• The train—The arrival of the Illinois Central Railroad to Amboy in 1854 marked the beginning of the city. The train carving consists of a steam engine with a coal car, a box car, a flat car with logs and a caboose. The Round House depicts the original 216-foot diameter circular brick building where the engines were maintained and readied for travel.

•Football player—The 1984 Class 2A State Football Champs hailed from Amboy. This carving was donated by fans in recognition of the local football team and the sport itself.

• David C. Shapiro—An Amboy resident, Shapiro was the first person in the history of the Illinois Legislature to be elected outstanding freshman in both the House and Senate.

For more information about Amboy, write Lee County Tourism Council, 112 S. Galena Ave., P.O. Box 119, Dixon, IL 61021,(815) 288-1840, or visit the following web sites: http://www.leecountytourism.com or http://www.leecounty history.com/lee_county/amboy.htm.

—Liz Pensoneau

October 2001

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