Chief Charles Bluejacket Memorial Fountain

Location: Herman Laird Park, Johnson Drive and Cody Street, Shawnee, KS

Owner: City of Shawnee

Dates: Dedicated November 1, 2003

Artist: Charles Goslin

Description:

Chief Charles Bluejacket was a Shawnee Indian Chief, a farmer and a minister in the early days of Shawnee, Kansas. The Bluejacket name is very prevalent in Shawnee as a street, a school, a senior citizens building and this memorial fountain all bear the Bluejacket name to give some idea of the importance and influence that Chief Charles Bluejacket had on the area.

The memorial fountain sits in the southwest corner of Herman Laird Park, which was at one time called Bluejacket Park. The fountain consists of water welling up in the top basin and gently flowing over into the lower pool. In the middle of the fountain, on top of a stone and concrete base, is a bronze sculpture of Chief Charles Bluejacket reading to two of his children. The sculpture is by artist Charles Goslin, who is a Shawnee native. The sculpture is titled "Taking Time."