A new effort is underway to highlight the history behind a nearly century-old Abraham Lincoln sculpture in Odon Park. Indiana University art history professor Melody Buesner and a group of IU students have been researching the work of local limestone carver Ira Carell, who donated the Lincoln statue to the town of Odon in 1922. The students studied the sculpture in person, reviewed historical records, and examined Carell’s original drawings at the Daviess County Historical Society. Their work has helped document additional Carell sculptures across southern Indiana and provided new context about his career and the significance of the Odon monument. The research will also support an application for an official state historical marker. The findings will be presented to the public during “Ira Carell Day” on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 11 a.m. at the Odon-Winkelpleck Library. Carell’s descendants, local historians, and the students involved in the project are expected to speak. You can hear the full interview this Saturday at 8:30 a.m. on Focus on the Community on Memories 107.9.
