Tombstone Tourists are all about history, heritage, and
preservation. We want to save the stones, the cemeteries, and the stories for
future generations. That’s why when I received a link to an article by Terre
Haute Indiana Tribune Star staff
writer David Kronke a couple of weeks ago, I immediately put out a call for any
volunteer restoration groups willing to help “Save the Elk.”
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| The Bronze Elk |
According to the article, the Benevolent and Protective
Order of Elks Lodge No. 86 in Terre Haute, Indiana, had planned to auction the
bronze statue after publicly stating they couldn’t afford to refurbish it.
It is worth noting the Elks
Lodge owns the plot of land where Elk members are buried and the statue stands. A
cemetery plot is sold like any other piece of real estate; the buyer signs a
deed for the land, tiny though it may be. The original deed goes to the
purchaser, and a copy is filed in the courthouse and with the cemetery.
Therefore, Highland Lawn Cemetery owned by the City of Terre Haute, does not
own the statue and has no control over its sale or removal.
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| Bronze Elk |
No sooner had I sent out pleas for assistance than
questions began to surface. “Who had said the statue needed restoration?” “What
type of refurbishing was needed?” “Had Elks Lodge No. 86 asked for or sought
any assistance in refurbishing the statue?” One Facebook reader cut to the
chase and called it a “money grab, pure and simple.”
Refurbishment Plea is Suspect
Locals felt the same way. Many said this wasn’t about the
statue needing repairs; it’s about a fraternal club needing money due to
suffering financial problems …again.
The community rose in protest
when Maple Avenue Auction released a notice of the sale. The Elks leadership
set the minimum bid at $30,000, and the buyer must also pay all moving and
repair fees.
According to Tommy Kleckner,
director of the Western Regional Office of Indiana Landmarks, no matter how
much the Elks would receive from selling the statue, it wouldn’t match “its
intrinsic historical value.”
Save the Elk
When Terre Haute resident Dot Lewis heard about the pending
auction, she decided to do something about it. Lewis has formed the Facebook
group, Save the Elk (Elks Rest) @ Highland Lawn Cemetery, Terre Haute, Indiana.
a:a:She created the group on
December 17, 2021, and it now has over 100 members.
Lewis hopes to draw attention
to the possible plight of the elk and create a public forum
to protest its sale and removal. When I queried her about the potential
auction, she explained that the statement made by the Elks that they need to
sell the statue due to refurbishment “is simply not true.” The decision to sell
the elk was a “private decision…made by the leadership of local Elks Lodge
No.86 without public or membership notification or discussion.”
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| Elk Lodge No. 86 in Terre Haute, Indiana |
According to Lewis, “It is a justification for their unethical
tactics and greed. They are selling it because they want money for their
lodge.” Lewis went on to say that neither “the Elks nor us (Save the Elk) need
resources for refurbishment.”
A cemetery sexton I spoke with
said that a bronze statue might need the joints rewelded due to metal
fatigue, but historians would not consider removing the century-old patina.
History of Harvey’s Elk
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| Eli Harvey |
The 14-point elk has overseen the graves of
nearly two-dozen Terre Haute Elk members for almost a century. Sculptor Eli
Harvey designed the elk statue in 1904. Harvey spent weeks inside a shed to
gather the correct dimensions, and attitude, of an elk stag in rut. Some
believe that Harvey could “touch the soul” of the animal. His bronze elk
sculptures represent the emblem of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks,
and it was his most popular work. The statues, cast in 1905, were available in
statuette and monumental versions. The elk was originally known as the “Bull
Elk.” The monumental Highland Lawn Cemetery statue is known locally as “Elks
Rest.” An attached plaque reads: “Elks Rest, BPOB No. 86,” and a clock face
depicts the time as 11:55.
the elk is the first destination on the cemetery
walking tour and listed on the Waymarking site in “Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculptures” pertaining only to
outdoor public sculptures.
Lodge No. 86 purchased the
statue in 1927 and dedicated it at the fraternal cemetery plot the following
year.
Elks No. 86 Has Sold Other Historic Artifacts
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| Revolutionary-era Cannons |
Lodge 86 is the same group that sold the historic
Revolutionary-era cannons displayed at Fort Harrison. The site was once the
location of the Elks Lodge Country Club and Golf Course.
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| Elk Statue at Dedication in 1928 |
Families
are appalled that Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks No. 86 would choose
to sell off this symbolic statue that oversees their dead. This considered
action doesn’t ring true to the Elks mission statement:
“… the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of the United
States of America will serve the people and communities through *benevolent programs,
demonstrating that Elks Care and Elks Share.”
(*Benevolent means “charitable, non-profitmaking.”)
a:a:
