Howard Park’s ‘Hiker’ Statue Honors Spanish-American War
Q: What is the statue in Howard Park?
A: The 8-foot sculpture, near the Kravis Center and just south of Okeechobee Boulevard on Parker Road in West Palm Beach, honors the soldiers who served during the Spanish-American War. It’s one of about 50 such figures, called The Hiker. They are the work of sculptor Theo Ruggles Kitson (1876-1932).
The bronze monument, now green with age, is of a typical foot soldier from the era, with knee-high boots, satchel at the hip, Rough Rider hat and rifle at the waist. The statues were put up at town squares and parks throughout the country between 1906 and 1965; the Howard Park sculpture was dedicated Aug. 12, 1949.
Florida played a major role in the war. The USS Maine’s last American port before it blew up in Havana harbor was Key West. After the U.S. Navy blockaded Cuba, residents of Palm Beach County worried about a Spanish invasion or bombardment and militias were activated along the southeast Florida coast.
By April 1898, the war was sparking interest in Palm Beach. Capt. Enoch Root called for forming a militia of West Palm Beach and Palm Beach men; 140 men responded. Guy Metcalf, editor of the West Palm Beach newspaper The Tropical Sun, asked Washington to mount guns in Palm Beach to protect its
great hotels.
In the spring of 1898, the Cornelia, a British warship, docked at the Palm Beach pier and officers were feted at the Royal Poinciana Hotel.
Private boats smuggled weapons from Florida to Cuban rebels. The Biscayne, a steamer out of Lake Worth, was seized twice on the high seas while attempting to smuggle guns.
