On 13 November 1915, Spencer and Julie Penrose presented
a statue of a little boy holding a leaky boot to the citizens of Penrose. Main Street
was filled with citizens of Penrose and the surrounding areas. The hitching posts
were full of horses that people rode into town and wagons lined the streets. The
crowd was delighted to see Mr. and Mrs. Penrose and all were dressed in their Sunday
best.
School
children led a parade, held banners and flags, and sang songs. Old soldiers also
marched in the parade and many speeches were given. The flag was raised during the
ceremony.
The statue was placed at the intersection of Broadway and Fremont streets. It stood on a small pedestal inside a larger fountain surrounded by a white metal picket
fence. Water spouted from the toe of the boy’s leaky boot and fell into the fountain
below.
The statue was stolen by pranksters many times and in June 1969 it was kidnapped
again. It was found months later by highway cleaning crews. The Little Boy had broken
arms and was quickly repaired.
This time, he was placed on Broadway Street near
the Post Office.
The story of the little boy is not known for sure. He may have been a drummer boy
in the Civil War who brought
water in his leaky boot for thirsty wounded soldiers.
The statue is a monument to his caring and dedication.
There are only 24 known statues of the Little Boy in the world. He is made of bronze
and is now owned by the Senior Citizens of Penrose. In Spring of 2005, he was presented
to the Penrose School and now has a place of honor inside a display case at the
new school.