From “9/11″ to “I Love Lucy” Upstate New York’s Moving Memorials

There are hundreds, maybe thousands even, of monuments, statues and memorials located all over the Empire State.  And many of them are in the Upstate region.

Monuments come in various shapes and sizes, and commemorate people, places, and even animals.  You will see that variety illustrated in the eleven noted in the gallery below.

These include a tribute to U.S. military horses (the only such memorial of its kind in the country), a poignant tribute to those who perished in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2011, a statue honoring perhaps the most famous American entertainer of all time, a tribute to a Native American icon in Schenectady, and a sad tableau depicting the harrowing escape route of southern enslaved people to freedom in Canada.  All of these, and several others, are described below.

These magnificent stone and bronze tributes are also a tip of the hat to some of our country's great sculptors and artists.  Imagine getting the commission to pay tribute to one of television's greatest legends.  This can be tricky, as you will see.  This performer's image was so indelible in the mind's eye of the public that when her statue was revealed it was met with immediate disdain and called "totally unrecognizable."  Yes, it can be tricky (a new statue was immediately ordered up).

If you have a favorite statue, monument, or memorial in your town or city that you would like to share with our readers, feel free to post it on our Facebook page for all to see!