On my way out of town, I had to check out the Chief Kandiyohi Statue. Located off Becker Ave in Willmar, the big, golden Chief stands 17 feet tall above his 7 foot tall pedestal. This image became the Kandiyohi County Bank symbol in 1915 although there never was a real Chief Kandiyohi. The icon later found a place at the Bank of Willmar after several bank mergers. In 1956, Bank of Willmar President Norman Tallakson had the large sculpture built and mounted.
Standing on Litchfield Avenue for 27 years, the statue was donated to the City of Willmar and Kandiyohi County in 1983 by First American Bank and Trust of Willmar and was moved to it’s current site, waiting for the next onlooker to stop and take notice.