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101st Anniversary of the Robert Burns Monument
Milwaukee, WI - 26 June 2010
June Wallace Acheson, Jim Rolain and Debbie Wallace represented the Family of Wallace at the St Andrew's Society of Milwaukee's celebration of the 101st anniversary of the dedication of the Robert Burns monument in Milwaukee. The monument, located in a historic downtown Milwaukee neighborhood, was originally donated to the city by Scottish immigrant and Milwaukee resident Mr. James A. Bryden on June 26th, 1909.
The Clan Wallace Society (CWS) made a donation of $360 to the St. Andrew's Society project at the Burns Commons. The CWS donation was recognized with a 16" x 16" engraved granite paving stone in the approach to the statue, as shown in the photo below.
St. Andrew's Society President, Judge Tom Cooper addressed the audience to officially dedicate the engraved paving stones that the Society installed around the base of the monument and to reaffirm the St. Andrew's Society's 150-year commitment to the promotion of Scottish culture and history in the region. Milwaukee area pipe band Celtic Nations Pipes and Drums stirred the crowd and filled the neighborhood with Scottish music. John Schafer, project manager for the SAS Burns Commons project, addressed the crowd to thank the donors, the SAS members for all their hard work and support, and the Milwaukee County Parks for their partnership on the project.
June, Debbie, and Jim report that the weather cooperated exceptionally well, providing a sunny slightly breezy day. Everyone from the St Andrew Society was helpful and welcoming to the Wallaces. After the ceremony Ian Day greeted Debbie at the County Claire Pub, talked about Robert Burns, tartans, and even recited a poem related to an incident Debbie experienced on the way to the event. Ian and Robert McWilliam, designer of the Wisconsin tartan, explained the significance of the colors and patterns on Wisconsin's official state tartan.
The ten foot tall bronze statue of Robert Burns is the work of renowned Scottish sculptor, Mr. William Grant Stevenson R.S.A. of Edinburgh. The statue stands upon a plinth of Nova Scotia pink granite, with an overall height of 23 feet. The front face of the plinth is inscribed simply with the words, "Robert Burns." The rear inscription honors Mr. Bryden and is flanked on either side by bronze reliefs depicting scenes from Burn's works. A master at his craft, W.G. Stevenson's work also includes the inspiring bronze statue of Sir William Wallace, located in Aberdeen, Scotland.
The Burns statue is located in an area referred to as the Burns Commons, part of the Milwaukee County Parks system. For several decades, the St. Andrew's Society has recognized the significance of this statue and organized efforts to maintain the statue. In the 1980's the SAS put forth several thousand dollars to have the statue and plinth professionally assessed and cleaned. The SAS's current project utilizes donations from commemorative paver stones to fund future statue upkeep and site improvement projects. Potential future projects include landscaping the area surrounding the statue, assessing and repairing a chip in the plinth, and installing stone benches where visitors can sit and enjoy the statue. Benches were shown in the County's original plans for the site, but were cut due to funding shortfalls.
Every year on a Sunday in late January, members of the St. Andrew's Society and Robert Burns Club brave frigid temperatures (in kilts) to gather, sing songs, and lay a wreath at the base of the statue in honor of Robert Burns' birthday.
For more information about the St. Andrew's Society of the City of Milwaukee
http://www.standrewssocietymilwaukee.org/Photos of the statue and the project progression are available at this site: http://picasaweb.google.com/108142578094309369651
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