A statue of Johnny Kaw holding a
scythe stands in Manhattan City Park, Kansas . Three small statues were created before the large one was erected in City Park. Mrs. Walter O’Neill of Manhattan sculped the first one for the centennial. It was featured in City Park during the 1955 Centennial, but vandals beheaded it. It was then moved to a farm, where someone backed a wagon over it. The statue seen today was built in 1966, eleven years after the Manhattan Centennial celebration that inspired George Filinger to write the story of Johnny Kaw. George Filinger worked hard to promote the statue’s construction and donated a large share of the required money. The statue cost approximately $7,000, far exceeding the estimates of $3,000 to $3,500. Local citizens donated the money required, hoping that the statue would establish Johnny Kaw as a local legend and prove to be a
roadside attraction. The statue is constructed of concrete over a steel beam framework. The design was intended to withstand wind and weather and be easy to maintain. Less than a month after its dedication on 15 May 1966, a tornado swept through Manhattan, yet the statue emerged unscathed proof, locals say, that it really was “built to last.” The statue was featured in a
Zippy the Pinhead comic strip on September 17, 2005. == See also ==