Lincoln loses his head again
The Abe Lincoln statue in Lithia Park is headless again.
Ashland police park patrol officer Nathan Twiss found Lincoln's head and hand missing Sunday morning. He said the vandalism took place sometime between 9 p.m. Saturday and 10:30 a.m. Sunday.
Don Robertson, director of Parks and Recreation, said this was the fourth time Lincoln has been decapitated since 1915, when Gwin S. Butler donated the statue to the city to memorialize his stepfather, pioneer Jacob Thompson, who moved to Ashland in 1847. The six-foot-tall piece was originally sculpted in Florence, Italy, by A. Frilli.
One incident occurred in 1967. Hamid Ghavam, a Southern Oregon University student, repaired the head and removed blue paint from the statue in 1968.
Another beheading occurred more than 27 years ago and parks officials relegated Lincoln's likeness to a storage facility for more than a decade.
The statue was restored in 1990 and reintroduced to the public with a new head on its shoulders.
Robertson said the latest decapitation appeared deliberate. He said there had to be more than one person involved and that the vandals chiseled away at the head and then sawed off the metal rod used to secure the head.
Police estimated the damage at around $1,200. The parks department did have a spare head for just such an emergency, but Robertson said that the repairs could be more extensive because of the cut rod. He also said the department is thinking about taking the statue down to better assess the damage and decide if another location would be more suitable.
"I can't express how frustrated and disappointed I am that this happened," Robertson said. "The real story is the amount of vandalism that occurs in this community and how much it costs to repair the damage."
He referred to recent vandalism to the Perozzi Fountain in Lithia Park, where he said vandals climbed to the top of the fountain and removed a cherub. He also cited damage to the park's drinking fountain that has been out of commission since it was damaged in 2006.
"Whoever did this needs to grow a conscience and do the right thing and call us," Robertson said.
Ron Hansen of Gold & Gems jewelry store said he wants a camera focused on the statue.
"I think this has happened enough times to warrent that kind of security. I'm a taxpayer who'd be completely willing to pay for the camera," he said.
Ashland Police Deputy Chief Rich Walsh said the department has no suspects.
Reach reporter Michele Mihalovich at 482-3456 x226 or mmihalovich@dailytidings.com.
