Dan the Miner Statue

The seven-foot-tall statue of Daniel O'Connell McCarthy is a memorial to those who had flocked to the Gold Rush of 1849. Dan the Miner was born in North Carolina, but made his way out west in the mid 19th century. He led a controversial life beset with feuds, violence, and scandals, but still somehow managed to live to 88 years of age. His statue was not immune from scandal; it was "kidnapped" and cut in half by unknown assailants, but just like its namesake, survived the ordeal and was restored.
(Submitted by Christine Peeples)