A HISTORIC FOUNTAIN FROM SIOUX CITY’S PAST HAS A NEW HOME IN CHRIS LARSEN PARK ON THE CITY’S NEWEST RIVERFRONT DEVELOPMENT.
CITY PARKS DIRECTOR MATT SALVATORE SAYS THE FOUNTAIN, WHICH WILL NOW BE KNOWN AS THE BYRON BROWER FOUNTAIN, WAS DONATED TO THE CITY IN 1911 BY THE NATIONAL HUMANE ALLIANCE:
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IN 1956 THE FOUNTAIN WAS MOVED TO THE RAVINE PARK AREA AND THEN IN 1981 TO COOK PARK ON THE CITY’S WESTSIDE.
THEN IN 2020, PRIOR TO HIS PASSING, IRVING JENSEN JR. BEGAN WORING WITH THE PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT TO COMPLETE THE RELOCATION OF THE FOUNTAIN AND TO DEDICATE IT TO BYRON BROWER, HIS FRIEND, BUSINESS PARTNER AND LONG-TIME SUPPORTER OF THE COMMUNITY.
JENSEN’S SON IRVING JENSEN THE THIRD, SAYS THEY RAISED FUNDS TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT AND WORKED WITH LOCAL CONTRACTORS FOR IN-KIND SUPPORT.
HE SAYS IT WAS IMPORTANT TO FIND A PLACE FOR THE FOUNTAIN TO BE PRESERVED AND DISPLAYED:
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BROWER’S GRANDSON, JOSEPH CHEEVER, SAYS HIS GRANDFATHER CARED ABOUT PEOPLE AND WOULD BE TOUCHED AND HONORED, BUT ALSO SURPRISED BY THE FOUNTAIN’S DEDICATION IN HIS NAME:
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BROWER, WHO PASSED AWAY IN 2016, WAS ALSO ACTIVE IN MANY COMMUNITY PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE WAR EAGLE MONUMENT AND SIOUX CITY ART CENTER.
