The Hiker - Valor and Patriotism Commemorative Statue

Dedicated in 1947 and located just south of the Liberty Memorial within Penn Valley Park, The Hiker commemorates those who served in several early twentieth-century wars and conflicts from the Spanish-American War, to the U.S. military's occupation of the Phillippines and Amerian troops who participated in the European-led military interventions in China at the turn of the 20th century. The statue and many others of similar design were created by Theodora Alice Ruggles Kitson. The Kansas City landmark was dedicated in 1947, more than twenty years after the World War I memorial opened. Some former pre-World War I veterans, themselves known as "hikers," were present at the ceremony.

American soldiers serving in the Spanish-American War, European-American military response in the wake of the Boxer Rebellion in China, and Phillippine-American War nicknamed themselves "hikers." Kitson made the Hiker statues in their honor, designing them based on Leonard Sefing, Jr., a Spanish-American War veteran who served as a model after winning a contest. After Kitson created the first design, the Gorham Manufacturing Company bought the rights. Over the next four decades, they cast at least fifty statues, many of which were not erected until some time after Kitson's death.

The original HIker statue can be seen at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, while most of the other statues are displayed in parks across the country. According to a Texas guide, the statues depict a soldier "stripped of his parade uniform and shown ... reacting to the challenges of the battlefield." The Hiker design has been praised for its realism and historical accuracy. The figure in the statue wears an accurate period uniform and carries a Krag-Jorgensen rifle. The Kansas City HIker is located in Penn Valley Park, south of the World War I Museum and Memorial. It was dedicated in 1947 thanks to veterans of the Spanish-American War.

Moore, Robert H.. Spanish-American War / Philippine Insurrection / China Relief Expedition Monument, Historical Marker Database. September 15th, 2010. Accessed January 27th, 2023. https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=61146.

Spanish American War Memorial, KC History. May 30th, 1955. Accessed January 27th, 2023. https://kchistory.org/islandora/object/kchistory%3A76699.

The Hiker, KC Parks and Recreation. Accessed January 27th, 2023. https://kcparks.org/places/the-hiker/.