Lincoln visited Leavenworth on a speaking tour of northeastern
Kansas during the time he was preparing a speech he would give in
New York City a few months later. He used his opportunities in
Kansas to test how his audience would react to the concepts in
his now-famous Cooper Union speech.
An uncommonly faithful portrait of Lincoln's known appearance at the
time, the bronze statue gives the impression that he might reach out
and greet the viewer. The sculpture was designed by Kansas artist
Martin Leo Pyle, who depicted Lincoln carrying his hat in one hand
and a copy of a December 3 Leavenworth newspaper in the other.
Pyle Statue in
Leavenworth, Kansas
Dedicated on December 3, 2009, this full-size work commemorates both
the 150th anniversary of Lincoln's speech in Leavenworth and the
200th anniversary of his birth. You will find it on the south
lawn of the Leavenworth City Hall, a few blocks from the site
of the now-demolished Stockton Hall where he spoke.