(Greensburg, IN) – Decatur County’s Bicentennial Bison returned this week to its original location on the southeast corner of the courthouse square in Greensburg, just in time for this weekend’s Tree City Fall Fest.
The bison was part of a statewide art project celebrating Indiana’s 200th birthday in 2016.
All 92 counties installed decorated five-foot-tall fiberglass beasts as part of the celebration.
The Decatur County bison remained in place until it was removed for repairs.
“It had cracks in it, and is had some scarring to it…and the paint was peeling off of it,” said Decatur County Council president Danny Peters. “So, I got an email that said if someone didn’t claim it, it was going to be taken someplace and destroyed.”
Peters says he and fellow county councilmember Bill Metz retrieved the statue about a year ago.
“I called Ryan Walterman, he said, ‘Bring it out.’ I took it to Ryan,” Peters said. “I asked, ‘What do you think it would cost to restore it?’ He said, ‘Drop it off and get out of here. I’ll take care of it.'”
Walterman is the owner/operator of Walterman’s Auto Body & Semi Truck Painting.
Peters says Visit Greensburg, Decatur County’s tourism bureau, has started a non-reverting bison fund that will be used to pay for repairs, paint jobs and maintenance on the statue.
“We saved it from extinction,” Peters added.
