The Corning Fountain in Bushnell Park in Hartford, around 1905. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress, Detroit Publishing Company Collection.
The fountain in 2015:
The Corning Fountain was given as a gift to the city of Hartford in 1899 by John J. Corning. It was designed by J. Massie Rhind, and features Native Americans representing local tribes, with a deer on top. The city’s name literally means “hart ford,” as in “a place where deer cross a river,” so the hart or stag has become a symbol of the city. Not coincidentally, the animal is also the symbol of The Hartford investment and insurance company. The statue is located in Bushnell Park, a large public park that was created in the 1860s. Prior to the construction of the park, this area was a fairly polluted industrial area. Corning’s father operated a grist mill on the spot where the statue now sits, and the statue was given by his son in his memory.
Hmmm. Here at the fountain, here in Hartford. More information about who John J Corning was?