Ceremony Marks 100th Year of Mark Twain Statue

A landmark in Mark Twain's hometown — a statue of the great author himself peering over his beloved Mississippi River — is celebrating 100 years.

The Hannibal Courier-Post reports that a rededication ceremony Saturday will honor the centennial of the Mark Twain statue in Riverview Park in Hannibal, Twain's boyhood home. The statue draws thousands of tourists each year to a park overlook above a scenic bend in the river.

A low-key program at 10 a.m. Saturday will feature remarks by the mayor, the parks department director and a Mark Twain impersonator.

The statue, made by sculptor Frederick Hibbard of Lewis County, Mo., was placed on its platform in 1913. Hibbard also was responsible for the Tom and Huck statue in downtown Hannibal.