MILWAUKEE, Wis. — A visitor passing through Juneau Park in downtown Milwaukee may notice a small, cubic monument near North Prospect Avenue and East Wells Street and wondered ‘what is this doing here?’.
An organization’s plans to revitalize the statue could change that by replacing a portion of the piece that has been missing for at least eight decades.
Unlike its neighboring memorials depicting the park’s namesake Solomon Juneau or Norse explorer Leif Erikson, the “Spirit of Service” monument has by comparison garnered less attention over the century since its installation in 1926. The piece was donated that year by the Milwaukee Loyal Knights of the Round Table, a fraternal service organization active in the early 20th century whose members were inspired by the legend of King Arthur.
The faces of the monument includes messages engraved in the granite, including “The good citizen in thought and deed embodies loyal service to enrich the common life”, a maxim on public service from ancient Roman poet Virgil, and a nod to the aforementioned legend of King Arthur and his court.
The monument also in its original form included a bronze sword paying homage to the legendary Excalibur. But at some point between its installation and 1947, the sword was stolen according to an article published that year in the Milwaukee Journal:
To commemorate the monument’s 100th birthday this year, the Juneau Park Friends group plans to install a new sword in the stone later this year. An exact date for a public ceremony has not yet been announced.
“Juneau Park has always been a place where Milwaukee’s history, culture, and public ideals come together,” said architect and Juneau Park Friends board member Chris Rute in a press release. “Restoring the Spirit of Service Monument allows us to honor a unique piece of Milwaukee’s heritage and ensure that its message endures for the next century.”
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