Ben Underwood took the role of his great-grandfather who delivered a speech 100 years ago for the Wright statue dedication in Fergus Falls.

By Tom Hintgen

Otter Tail County Correspondent

On Thursday evening, July 16, the Fergus Falls Heritage Preservation Commission along with the Otter Tail County Historical Society sponsored the rededication of the George B. Wright statue. This marked the 100-year anniversary of the statue’s unveiling which took place on July 16, 1926.  

The Wright statue is located on South Union Avenue, just south of downtown Fergus Falls, at the intersection of South Union and Washington Avenue.

Photo by Tom Hintgen
Above: The Carlisle Band performed prior to the rededication of the Wright statue on July 16.

Fergus Falls resident Ben Underwood delivered the exact same speech as his great grandfather, then Mayor Martin Benson, who spoke during the ceremonies on July 16, 1926.

George B. Wright led the development of Fergus Falls in the early 1870s. This started with construction of Central Dam and a sawmill. His son, Vernon Wright, was a co-founder of Otter Tail Power Company which generated electricity for the first time in 1909, at Dayton Hollow Dam south of Fergus Falls.

Vernon Wright called on Harriet Hanley of Minneapolis to create his father’s likeness in stone. The Wright statue was created from a large block of limestone from Indiana. Creating stone statuary of a significant scale was difficult work in 1924 when Hanley began her project. 

A new book about the statue of George B. Wright, written by Fergus Falls native Steve Johnson, is available in person or online at the Otter Tail County Historical Society (county museum) in Fergus Falls.