“The Boy with the Leaking Boot,” was originally commissioned in the early 1900s. It was placed on the grounds of what was then known as the Denver and Rio Grande Hospital, now known as the Touber Building. Photo by Taylor Sumners.
During the summer months, the Touber Building’s lawn at 448 E. First Street is home to two fountains known as “The Boy with the Leaking Boot” and “Out in the Rain.” The fountains have reappeared for the warm months and they look refreshed for a very good reason.
This past winter the fountains received fresh coats of paint and new facial defining features.
Bob Campbell, the maintenance building supervisor of the Touber Building and president of the Salida Museum, is the man behind the restoration. Campbell started his job as the Building supervisor April 1, and this was one of his first projects.
The restoration consisted of repairing external flaws, changing the hues to add more depth and improvement on the facial dimensions by giving the statues eyebrows and eyelashes.
“The Boy with the Leaking Boot,” is just one of many molds of the boy that have been cast all over the world. According to Campbell, only about six are still functioning today.
At four feet tall and a little over 400 pounds, the statue was originally placed on the grounds of the Denver and Rio Grande hospital in the early 1900s.
“Out in the Rain” is one of two statues that arrived in Salida in the early 1900s to be placed on the grounds of what was then the Denver and Rio Grande Hospital. The surface features got a restoration this past winter. Photo by Taylor Sumners.
Campbell said that many myths surround the globally known statue, “The Boy with the Leaking Boot.” First and foremost, questions surround who the boy may be.
The myths surrounding the identity of the boy include that he was a young Italian newspaper boy who drowned and that he might have been a young drummer boy who delivered water to troops during World War I. Another myth says the boy was a young firefighter drinking from his boot.
Both statues reside in the basement in the winter months for preservation, due to the harsh winter conditions that Salida experiences. Campbell said it took the elevator and multiple people to get the heavy statues back into place a little more than two and a half weeks ago.
This archive photo was taken in front of “The Boy with the Leaking Boot,” sometime in the early 1900s.
“I felt it was an honor and privilege to bring the statues back… I have received many compliments on how they look,” said Campbell.
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