WILMINGTON, Ohio — The Clinton County History Center is displaying a bronze sculpture by nationally recognized artist Eli Harvey, a temporary loan from Clinton-Massie Local Schools. The sculpture, titled “The Bison and Sioux,” will be on public view in the main hallway of the History Center through July 2026.
Created in 1927, the sculpture was part of the Harvey family’s private collection until the artist’s third wife, Edith Harvey, gifted it to Clinton-Massie Local Schools in 1964. The gift honored the opening of the newly built high school, which was formed by the consolidation of the Kingman, Harveysburg, Adams and Clarksville high schools. The piece has been at the Lebanon Road location for 62 years.
Harvey (1860-1957) was a native of Clinton County, born in Ogden, Ohio. He lived much of his life in a home built by his family just a few miles from the current Clinton-Massie campus. He was renowned for his animal sculptures and paintings, with works shown at institutions such as the Paris Salon and the Pan-American Exposition. Harvey died in 1957 and is buried near his childhood home at Springfield Meeting Cemetery on Todd’s Fork Road.
“We are grateful to Clinton-Massie Local Schools for making this treasured piece of art accessible to the public for the next year,” said Shelby Boatman, executive director of the History Center. “It’s a remarkable connection between our county’s educational history and its artistic heritage.”
The loan is a collaboration between the school district and the History Center to preserve and share the county’s artistic legacy.
The sculpture can be viewed during regular museum hours. For more information, visit www.clintoncountyhistory.org or call the History Center at 937-382-4684.