Fort Pierre Historic Sculptures
Fort Pierre – the most historic city in South Dakota – is working to bring a series of sculptures to our town, to help tell the story of who we are and where we came from.
The first sculpture is a Bison bull, being created by renowned artist John Lopez from Lemmon, South Dakota. When this life-sized sculpture is done, it will be installed at the new Bridge Plaza area at the Commander John C. Waldron Bridge.
The second sculpture is Water Carrying Woman, being sculpted by Matthew Lanz from the Black Hills. It will be installed at the east end of Hustan Avenue near the bridge plaza.
The next sculpture in process is a scale-model of the USS Hornet, the aircraft carrier that transported Commander Waldron’s torpedo squadron. It is very detailed, complete with all equipment and airplanes.
Another sculpture in the series of nine will be of Pierre Chouteau, the community’s namesake, and a symbol of the community’s founding history as the “Fur Trading Capital of the Northwest.” Established in 1832 by Pierre Chouteau Jr. to replace nearby Fort Tecumseh, Fort Pierre Chouteau became the American Fur Company’s headquarters in the Upper Missouri Region.
Additional sculptures include Scotty & Sarah Philip, the Verendrye Brothers, Lewis & Clark and Chief Black Buffalo, and White Buffalo Calf Woman.
Members of the Fort Pierre Historic Sculptures Committee include Committee Chair Judy Weisgram, Fort Pierre Mayor Gloria Hanson, Leroy Foster, Tad Perry, Pat Miller, Sunny Hannum, Sandy Zinter, Tom LaFaive, Chris Maxwell, Doug Mortenson, Jeff Mortenson, Karl Fischer, Eileen Fischer, and Rick Hahn.
If you would like to contribute to the Fort Pierre Historic Sculpture Project, please contact us at history@fortpierresculptures.com
Historic sculptures’ July 3 unveiling celebrates rich Fort Pierre area history
The Fort Pierre Historic Sculptures Committee will unveil its first two sculptures at 1 p.m. CDT on Friday, July 3, 2026, near the city’s new Waldron Bridge Plaza, celebrating the area’s rich history. The public is invited to the ceremony at Drifters Event Center next to the plaza in Fort Pierre, with each unveiling at the statue’s site just...