Bronze George Wash: A 19th-century charmer, Milwaukee, WI

Here we go, folks! Picture this: The Washington Monument, a gift from American artist Richard Henry Park to his Milwaukee, Wisconsin, community. It arrived in 1885, backed by a cool $20,000 investment, and it sure stirred things up around here. Standing at 10 feet and 6 inches tall, it's quite the eyeful right outside the Milwaukee Public Library Central Library. Guess who footed the bill? That's right - Miss Elizabeth A. Plankinton, a city sweetheart and a lover of her roots.

The statue shows our boy George Washington at a sprightly 43, all spruced up in an American Continental Army getup - floral hat, cape, boots, jacket, vest, pants, and two swords! Two bronze figures can be found at its foot: a woman and a lad. The lady waves up to the statue, while the kid looks skyward with an open book clutched by his side. You'll find inscriptions at the edges of the sculpture: 'RH PARK SC' and 'F. GALLI FUSERO'. In July 2016 to January 2018, the statue underwent a bit of a polish. According to Mayor Tom Barrett, it's hummin' like a dream since then.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons