The Hiker
Dublin Core
Title
Subject
Description
This monument was dedicated on August 13, 1938 as a tribute to the 200 Shamokin area men who volunteered to fight during the Spanish-American War in 1898.
"The Hiker" is the official figure of the Spanish War Veterans' organization.
Before the unveiling of the monument, there was a spectacular parade. An estimated 30,000 people were along the parade route according to the Shamokin News-Dispatch on August 15, 1938. Mrs. William Linderman, widow of a Civil War soldier, unveiled the bronze and granite monument. At this time, there was a hush of silence in the crowd followed by a patriotic cheer.
Of the 212 men who volunteered in the Spanish-American War, 45 were still living in 1938.
Major General Edward C. Shannon, former captain of the Spanish-American War, was the chief marshal of the parade. There was a plethora of artillery groups, infantry, calvary, etc. There were ambassadors from Cuba and the Philippines, Superior Court Justice Arthur H. James who later became governor of Pennsylvania, and more dignitaries from all over the country. Over 3,000 soldiers of the armed forces of the U.S. and members from almost every Spanish-American War camp in PA attended the ceremony and parade.
Both Lucas P. Paredes, charge d’affairs of the Philippine Commission to the United States and Diosdada M. Yap, publicity director for the Philippine High Commission spoke about the gratitude toward the war veterans.
Dispute over the number of people present:
The Shamokin Citizen Centennial Special in 1964 states that there were approximately 50,000 people.
The Northumberland County Council for the Arts & Humanities Anthracite Heritage Booklet claims a total of almost 90,000 people in the community. It states that "In 1938, Shamokin and Coal Township's populations were both 20,000. Therefore, on this historic day, there were 90,000 [counting the 50,000 people that came for the dedication] people in our community."
It is difficult to ascertain the correct amount of people accurately.
Sources:
Shamokin News-Dispatch
August 15, 1938
Shamokin Citizen Centennial Special 1964
The Northumberland County Council for the Arts & Humanities Anthracite Heritage Booklet
Corner of Market and Lincoln Streets, Shamokin
$5,000
Sponsor/Benefactor:
John U. Shroyer (1882 - 1960), the past department commander of the Major General Guy V. Henry Camp No. 11
He was responsible for the fundraising drive to erect the monument. He lobbied to have one designated for Shamokin. Shroyer operated several dress factories and outlets throughout eastern PA and neighboring states.
Shroyer also founded the Shamokin Citizen newspaper which had its first issue on May 19, 1949 and the last issue on December 29, 1966.
The base of the monument is a piece of granite from Vermont. Other stone was selected by members of the Shroyer family who brought it back from Coudersport. The sculpture of the man is bronze. Gorham Manufacturing Company was a foundry for bronze sculpture.
It is a full-length figure of a "Hiker" male soldier, dressed in uniform with shirt, trousers, boots, hat and ammunition belt. He holds a rifle with both hands across the front of his body at thigh height. The sculpture is mounted atop a rough cut two-tiered base, with bronze replica of the membership badge of the U.S. Spanish-American War veterans inset on front.
Creator
Sculptor/Company:
Unfortunately, there is no information of the person who constructed the monument. However, the designer who drafted the first and constructed many of them after that was Theo Alice Ruggles Kitson (1871 - 1932).*Leonard Sefing, Jr., a Spanish–American War veteran from Allentown, Pennsylvania, was selected as the model for the statue after a photograph of him was entered into a national contest.
There were a recorded 50 "Hiker" statues made and placed in cities across the U.S.
*"The Hiker, (sculpture)", Art Inventories Catalog (Smithsonian Institution), retrieved 2012-01-31,
Allentown native and Spanish American War veteran, Leonard Sefing, Jr., was the model for the final design of the original "Hiker" sculpture, of which this sculpture is a reproduction. Sefing's photograph was submitted by a local photographer to a national contest seeking the ideal Spanish American War soldier.
Source
Shamokin News-Dispatch
August 15, 1938
Shamokin Citizen Centennial Special 1964
The Northumberland County Council for the Arts & Humanities Anthracite Heritage Booklet
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