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THE WINTER PARK-FRASER VALLEY ROTARY CLUB IS PROUD TO BE PART OF A GROUP
OF ORGANIZATIONS HONORING THE 34TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, DWIGHT
D. EISENHOWER, AND THE TIME HE SPENT IN THE WINTER PARK/ FRASER VALLEY AREA.
President Eisenhower will be honored with the placement of a life-size bronze
statue of the 34th President by the Fraser River.
President Eisenhower was born in Denison, Texas and raised in Abilene,
Kansas. He graduated from West Point in 1915 and married Mamie Doud of
Denver, Colorado in 1916. He rose to the rank of Five Star General and
was the Supreme Allied Commander during World War II. He became the Commander
in Chief of NATO Forces in 1950.
General Eisenhower was so popular and well-respected that both the Democratic
and Republican parties courted him to be their Presidential candidate.
He accepted the Republican nomination and was elected President of the
United States in 1952.
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President Eisenhower was also an avid sportsman. His two favorite
hobbies were golf and fly-fishing. Colorado was perfect for both
activities. He surrounded himself with a small group of friends
called "The Gang" that included local rancher Aksel Neilsen.
President Eisenhower made many trips to Denver and due to the nearness
of the Nielsen Ranch in Fraser; our beautiful valley became one
of his most loved getaways. While at the Neilsen Ranch, the President
usually stayed in a two-bedroom log cabin. He enjoyed cooking -
his specialties being trout and steaks, broiled over the coals.
On several occasions, he remarked that he was most relaxed while
fly-fishing the Fraser River or St. Louis Creek. The people of this
community accepted and adored him, but gave him his privacy. From
time to time, other famous individuals including Richard Nixon,
General Lucius Clay, and James Hagerty, joined the President on
the stream.
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President Eisenhower was also an avid sportsman. His two favorite hobbies
were golf and fly-fishing. Colorado was perfect for both activities. He
surrounded himself with a small group of friends called "The Gang"
that included local rancher Aksel Neilsen.
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President Eisenhower made many trips to Denver and due to the nearness
of the Nielsen Ranch in Fraser; our beautiful valley became one
of his most loved getaways. While at the Neilsen Ranch, the President
usually stayed in a two-bedroom log cabin. He enjoyed cooking -
his specialties being trout and steaks, broiled over the coals.
On several occasions, he remarked that he was most relaxed while
fly-fishing the Fraser River or St. Louis Creek. The people of this
community accepted and adored him, but gave him his privacy. From
time to time, other famous individuals including Richard Nixon,
General Lucius Clay, and James Hagerty, joined the President on
the stream.
During one notable trip to the valley in 1954, President Eisenhower
signed the bill that established the United States Air Force Academy.
Very few communities can lay claim to having been a favorite vacation
home to the "Leader of the Free World". He is by far the
Fraser River Valley's most famous fly-fisherman!
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In tribute to this great man, the Winter Park-Fraser Valley Rotary Club
along with the Fraser River Valley Lion's Club, the Winter Park/Fraser
Valley Chamber of Commerce, the Grand County Historical Association, and
the Colorado River Headwater's Chapter of Trout Unlimited are partnering
together to raise funds to construct a memorial at a prominent site alongside
the Fraser River. The proposed tribute will consist of an eight-foot bronze
monument in the town of Fraser, CO, where it will be accessible to the
public for reverence and educational purposes.
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The bronze statue will be created by Grand Lake resident, Howard
Neville, an accomplished sculptor. Mr. Neville has done other life-size
sculptures of famous Americans including John Wayne and Glenn Miller.
His vision is to create a glimpse into the lesser-known life of
President Eisenhower - a split second of action as the late President
nets a beautiful Colorado trout. The image will resemble a photograph
taken of the President which can be found at the Dwight D. Eisenhower
Library and Museum in Abilene, Kansas.
Mr. Neville will publicly create the bronze in the lobby of the
Fraser branch of Grand Mountain Bank. Visitors, student classrooms,
and other interested groups are welcome to observe his work. The
project will begin in June 2006 and take approximately eight months
to complete. The finished monument will be placed near the bank
of the Fraser River in the Fraser Valley.
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Sculptor
Howard Neville
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Also, thirty-size handsome quarter-scale miniatures of the eight-foot
original will be created by the sculptor. A few will be located in
the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library in Abilene and the Eisenhower section
of the Grand County Historical Museum in Fraser. The remaining commemorative
miniatures may be purchased by interested parties for a $4,000 donation.
Approximately 70% of those proceeds will go towards actual creation
and completion of the project.
Other gift offerings include engraved bricks flowing up to and
around the base of the statue. These are available for donations
in the amounts of $100, $500, and $1000.
We welcome your help in re-telling this story to future generations.
Donations of all sizes are greatly appreciated. Please send them
to: WP-FV Rotary, PO Box 1598, Fraser, Colorado, 80442. Checks should
be written out to "Eisenhower Project".
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We also encourage other groups or individuals to participate in this
project. For more information, please email us at: info@wpfv-rotary.org,
or contact any of our partnering agencies.
The other Partner Organizations involved with the Winter Park Eisenhower
Project are..
- Fraser River Valley Lion's Club,
- Winter Park/Fraser Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Grand County Historical Association
- Trout Unlimited - Colorado River Headwater's Chapter
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