NEBRASKA CITY – A committee that is hoping to establish the J. Sterling Morton statue from Washington, D.C., at Nebraska City is scheduled to meet with the Otoe County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, July 28.

The nine-foot, 5,500-pound statue of Morton has been displayed at the National Statuary Hall for the past 80 years, but state representatives voted two years ago to replace the statues of Morton and  William Jennings Bryan with statues of Willa Cather and Standing Bear.

Nebraska City was the only city to apply to host the statue of Morton, an early Nebraska governor and founder of Arbor Day.

The county board earlier approved the statue on the east side of the courthouse lawn, but is expected to revisit the issue at its July 28th meeting, said Commissioner Rick Freshmen.

Committee member Doug Friedli said there appears to be public support for the statue at that courthouse location, but other options have been discussed.

Donations have come in for the $5,000 needed to make application for the statue. He said an additional $5,000 has been donated for site preparation and donations continue to come in.

The statue had been scheduled to be moved to Nebraska this summer, but will not arrive until the spring of 2021 at the earliest.

Friedli said establishing the statue is seen as a learning experience. He said a historical plaque is planned to highlight Morton as a historical figure, including his tree planting, love of agriculture and various writings.

Friedli said he would recommend bringing the application back to the state Historical Society if the location is changed from the courthouse lawn.

County board meetings typically begin at 8:30 a.m.