Hail to the Chief: St. Germain Statue to be Welcomed Home

After more than a year of fundraising, needed repairs and storage, a welcome home ceremony for the statue of Chief St. Germain is slated to take place this Saturday, May 24, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the St. Germain Chamber of Commerce.

Thanks to efforts made by the Save Chief St. Germain Committee, the statue has undergone a series of repairs to revamp the damaged fiberglass base of the statue as well as repaint the entire structure. He's expected to be reinstalled early this week ahead of the public celebration.

It's been a long road, and members of the public and those who have donated funds to repair the historic statue are invited to see the chief back in his rightful home outside of the St. Germain Chamber of Commerce, at the corner of highways 155 and 70 on Saturday.

The event begins at 10 a.m., and a special dedication speech will be given at noon by Roger Weber, long-time local resident. Other activities being held throughout the day will include a coloring contest and pop-up craft show, along with sandwiches and beverages available for purchase. "I Saved the Chief" shirts and other souvenirs also will be on sale, and entertainment will be provided on-site by a DJ.

An Icon of the North

Jacki Risjord-Goebel, a member on the committee that has reinvigorated the chief and made these repairs possible through countless fundraising hours, said she was excited when she was asked to be on the committee. Like many others who spent childhoods visiting the Northwoods, she has fond memories of passing by the chief every summer on her route from Kentuck Lake to Minocqua for shopping.

"It was iconic enough to support and for me to help in any way I could to keep the fun roadside attraction for the future," Risjord-Goebel said. A plea on Facebook that asked the public to send in pictures of their families with the chief over the years was met with tremendous response. "Photos poured in and can be seen on our Facebook page," Risjord-Goebel said, adding they will also be on display at the party.

The original goal to raise $25,000 began in late 2023, with a fundraising kick-off that aimed to raise enough money to fund the refurbishing of the statue, as well as the removal and transport of the statue to have it fixed. The repairs were originally expected to cost around $23,000, but after Advantage Restorations of Minocqua began working on it, the cost escalated to $28,000.

When the necessary repairs first came to light, the town board wanted to remove the statue and store it. This sparked fears within supporters that if that happened, the chief would be locked away and forgotten, and the Save the Chief Committee was formed. They began fundraising immediately via an online platform as well as placing coin cans in more than 40 local businesses, Risjord-Goebel explained. Although not everyone shared the enthusiasm over the idea of repairing the statue, public donations started pouring in and the efforts grew from there, into pop-up food fundraisers and selling t-shirts at St. Germain's weekly summer flea market.

Support continued to grow, with local clubs adding the project to their roster of donations, and the money began accumulating. The town board agreed to advance the needed money, and the committee was able to pay that back in short order.

"When we were able to pay the repair bill, we felt we had really accomplished our goal, and then the extra projects started to become a reality," Risjord-Goebel said. The committee has raised more than $31,000 total, and are now focusing on different landscaping ideas to beautify the area around the chief.

She noted that this would not be possible without the help of many local groups, clubs and organizations that have stepped forward to help with these projects, as well as the public support from people near and far who hold a special place in their hearts for the chief.

"We had much support from families who revered the chief as an important part of vacations up north. This gave us support in applying for a chamber grant and other fundraising," Risjord-Goebel said. "We were overwhelmed at the support from our clubs. The women's club, both Lions clubs have been very generous, the ATV and snowmobile clubs have provided funds. Businesses such as Naturista Monarch have held fundraisers for us. Local stores have given funds and products for our fundraisers. Save More in Minocqua has given us great support and continues to support our party this Saturday. The St. Germain Community Thrift Shop has been an incredible supporter, providing many donations."

And that support continues to be important, as upkeep of the chief will need to be done, including applying a new clear coat in some years. A maintenance plan is being included in plans for future fundraising, and the committee is working to get the chief listed on various websites that feature unique statues to see while on vacation in order to draw people to the town.

A Brief Chief History

While there was never actually a Chief St. Germain, the statue carries with it its own history and notable names.

According to local resort owner and chamber board member Larry Chamberlain, the artist behind the original statue of the chief was Neal Long of Plum Lake. Long is also known for painting the "Mus-Ski Mountain" mural on the ceiling of the Sayner Pub.

Long based the chief on a small carving he had made, then replicated it in a much larger model using his brother-in-law, Bill Maines, as a model. He said he carved the chief out of 6-foot by 6-foot timbers, then covered it with metal mesh and added waterproof concrete to preserve it.

After years of abuse from the elements, Long's wooden statue was in need of a facelift. According to Chamberlain, the statue was recast in fiberglass in the late 1990s or early 2000s, and an artist who went by "Painter Bob" painted the chief. Attempts to find additional information on the refurbishment project carried out at that time were unsuccessful, according to information provided by the Save Chief St. Germain Committee.

The chief has been successfully saved, but fundraising continues. Anyone who would like to donate can pledge funds at givebutter.com/savethechief. Donations also will be accepted at the welcome home event.