Grand unveiling: President McKinley statue now on display at Stark County Courthouse

CANTON − The sun beamed down on the statue of former President William McKinley on Saturday in front of the Stark County Courthouse, its long-awaited unveiling marking the end of the monument's lengthy relocation from California.

A covering was removed from the bronze figure late Saturday morning in front of a crowd of spectators, as well as special guests Gov. Mike DeWine and Karl Rove, a presidential historian and author who also served as senior advisor to President George W. Bush.

Local officials also were in attendance, including Mayor Thomas Bernabei and Stark County Commissioner Janet Weir Creighton, who helped organize and lead the event.

Joining them were representatives of the Timken Foundation of Canton and the Timken family, including W.R. Timken Jr., former ambassador to Germany, and Robert R. "Bob" Timken, president of the foundation.

The foundation has funded the extensive project, including moving the statue from Arcata, California, where it had been a source of controversy for years.

Arcata didn't want the statue

In 2018, Arcata City Council decided to remove the statue after decades of dispute surrounding the statue and what critics said was McKinley's imperialist reputation.

Those at Saturday's ceremony said they were honored to receive and dedicate the statue. Others said it was now in Canton where it belongs.

"It's great to have the statue here from our friends in California," DeWine said to laughter in the audience at the dedication event in the Stark County Office Building before the unveiling.

"Let me thank the Timken family for making this day possible," DeWine said. "I think this is a happy day for Ohio."

In 2019, the Timken Foundation purchased the statue for $15,000 from Arcata and transported it to McKay Lodge in Oberlin, where it was repaired after years of environmental deterioration and vandalism had left the bronze discolored.

A pedestal for the 8-foot statue of the late Canton resident, who served as the nation’s 25th president, was installed by Coon Restoration & Sealants outside the courthouse at the corner of Tuscarawas Street and Market Avenue.

Monitored by security cameras, the statue sits atop a 1-foot polished granite cap with beveled edges. The 6-foot, 6-inch base consists of flamed granite and has an 8-inch concrete foundation.

The Timken Foundation’s six-person board of trustees chose to locate the statue at the courthouse due to its proximity to the Saxton House, McKinley's law offices in the First National Bank building, and the president's Methodist church.

Statue is reborn in Canton

Along with the Timken Foundation, many others were credited for their roles with the statue project, including Bernabei for championing the effort, as well as the support of county commissioners.

Bernabei said the statue is a "beautiful addition to downtown [Canton]."

Creighton also said it was fitting.

"His legacy has left a lasting imprint on our community," she said of McKinley.

The 117-year-old statue has a storied past, surviving the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, which is one of the deadliest earthquakes in U.S. history.

California rancher George Zehnder, who met President McKinley following one of his speeches in California, commissioned the statue after McKinley's assassination in 1901. He hired Haig Patigian, who was not well known at the time but later had work displayed in the White House and Congress, to create the bronze sculpture.

'This guy was a unifier'

During a lengthy speech prior to the unveiling, Rove staunchly defended McKinley against criticisms made by Arcata residents and detractors.

Rove is the author of "The Triumph of William McKinley: Why the Election of 1896 Still Matters." He's also a political analyst for Fox News.

"This guy was a unifier," said Rove, citing McKinley's efforts as a heroic soldier in the Civil War and then as a Congressman and president.

The New York Times bestselling author also spoke of how greatly the country grieved when McKinley was killed.

Before the unveiling, the roughly 100 attendees present at the dedication event received carnations to place at the base of the statue.

Creighton said McKinley often wore a carnation, Ohio's state flower.

"He took it off in 1901 at the Pan-American exposition in Buffalo, New York, and he handed it to a young admirer," she said. "An hour later he was assassinated. He considered it a good luck charm."

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This article originally appeared on The Repository: William McKinley statue unveiled in Canton at Stark County Courthouse