The Logdriver sculpture in Wausau. MWC photo by Mike Leischner
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — Wausau leaders gathered on Wednesday to dedicate a new piece of public art along the Riverlife Trail, with a nod to the city’s logging history.
The Log Driver depicts a man standing on a floating log, using a pole to clear a logjam. Blake Opal-Wahoske with the Marathon County Historical Society says he hopes it helps the story of those laborers stay alive for generations. “They were sometimes known as River Rats, and it was one of the most difficult and dangerous jobs in the lumber industry. They were out there on logs, pushing the log jams apart. There was definitely a high mortality rate in this profession.”
Still without them, Opal-Wahoske says Wausau wouldn’t be the city that it is today. “This is how we got our start. It’s what created industries here, led us to manufacturing and generated a lot of wealth. That’s why we have such a strong arts and culture community here.
“Lumber is what made Wausau,” he added. “Wausau is the way that it is because of our logging history.”
Mayor Doug Diny and leaders from the Judd S Alexander and Walter Alexander Foundations dedicated the statue by pouring Wisconsin River water over the sculpted logs.
The base of the statue includes information about log drivers and their work. Opal-Wahoske says anyone who wants to know more can find articles and photos about the profession at the Historical Society, either in person or online.
The statue is located near the Eye Clinic of Wisconsin, at the entrance to the pedestrian bridge to Barker-Stewart Island. Opal-Wahoske says he hopes it will be the first of several pieces of art along the Riverlife Trail.
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