Statue to honor Amelia Witherstine unveiled in Central Park
Published Dec 9 2025
ROCHESTER, Minn. - A new statue is unveiled in Central Park in honor of pioneer Amelia Witherstine.
Witherstine made history in 1911 when she became the first woman elected to the Rochester School Board. She would also become the board's first female president and was among the first women to to serve on the Olmsted County Jury.
The statue is from Australian sculptors Gillie and Marc as part of their 'Statues for Equality' initiative, which came after they discovered that less than 5% of statues in the world were of women.
Mayor Kim Norton says that it felt appropriate to add this statue, as she is the first female mayor.
"I would say as the first elected woman as mayor, it was important to me to find someone else in history. I stand on the shoulders of lots of other people that have done great things in the history," said Mayor Norton. "And Amelia, in this community, was that first, that first woman elected to office, the first woman to do so many great things that it just resonated as the right choice for us here."
Once the snow melts, more features will be added to the statue. This includes a garden and signage. The statue is located at the southeast corner of Central Park and has been recognized as a Historic Landmark.
