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In this ceremony at the Jackson County Courthouse Square in Independence, Missouri, President Truman presented the equestrian statue of General Andrew Jackson to the county. The sound recording includes: invocation by the Reverend William B. Garnett of the Trinity Episcopal Church, in Independence; introductory remarks by Judge William J. Randall; introduction of the president by Mayor Roger T. Sermon; President Harry S. Truman's presentation remarks; Margaret Truman's unveiling of the statue as the 371st Army Band plays, under the direction of Chief Warrant Office L.J. Croteau out of Fort Leavenworth, KS; acceptance of the statue by Judge Harry M. Gambrel, presiding judge of the Jackson County Court; benediction by Reverend H.M. Hunt of the First Baptist Church of Independence.
This is the text of President Truman's remarks:
Thank you, Mr. Mayor. That's the shortest speech I've ever heard you make in my life. I appreciate that introduction and I know that you mean every word of it.
You know it's a very great pleasure to me to come back here to Jackson County to take a part in the presentation of this Andrew Jackson statue to Jackson County. When the court houses were built, this one was re-built, back in 1934 they were finished, an immense equestrian statue of Jackson was erected in front of the courthouse in Kansas City. That was in 1934. My daughter unveiled that statue on a day just like this in 1934. It was a little colder, if anything, because it it happened to be on the North side of the building.
At that time, Mr. Keck told me that he had a life-size statue which was the second casting before the immense statue in Kansas City was cast, and that he would like to give it to me personally, and I wanted to give it to Jackson County. Everybody was under the impression that the statue I wanted to give to Jackson County was a small thing like this, they didn't understand what it was. I offered it to several of the county courts. And finally Mr. Keck was tired of keeping it in his studio and he wrote me a letter and told me he would like for me to take it off his hands. I wrote this county court, I had never put it up to them before, and they accepted the statue for the city of Independence to be erected on the East side of the courthouse, facing East. And I am most happy to have a part in, as I said before, in this unveiling. (bell tolling)
You know, it's interesting when you survey the history of Jackson County. There's an old record book in the courthouse here in Independence. It's record book #1, and it tells about the erection of the first courthouse here in Independence. That courthouse was built of logs and clapboards. And the contract price for the construction of that courthouse was $150. It sits down here back of the City Hall, almost intact as it was when it was first constructed. In connection with the erection of that courthouse, they held an auction of lots in order to raise the money to build the courthouse. And a part of the expense was $7.50 for four gallons of whiskey and tin cups to drink it with. (laughter) It's a most interesting thing to read that record.
Well now, the reconstruction of this courthouse has been made on, I think, three different occasions. And the cost of the reconstruction has increased in each instance. In this present condition, it cost about $350,000 to remodel it. The courthouse in Kansas City cost a little less than $3.5 M to construct. So, there was a little money left over. And I decided that since the county was named for Andrew Jackson that we ought to take notice of that fact. And I suggested to Tom White that he recommend a sculptor for that purpose. He said that Charles Keck was the greatest sculptor in the country and he had the finest equestrian statue in America at Charlottesville, VA. So Tom White and I made the trip to Charlottesville, VA and saw that statue. And we went on to New York, and made a deal with Mr. Keck and he made the statues of Andrew Jackson which will be the property of Jackson County from now on.
He gave me this one, because he thought-- I don't know what he thought what I could do with it because it's not very--it's not small enough to keep in the house and it's too big to put in anybody's front yard, and it occurred to me that it was just the right size to go with this Independence courthouse. I am happy to be able to present it to you. I'm also extremely happy that my daughter can be here and do the same for this one as she did for the one in Kansas City. Margaret will now perform her part of the job. (applause)