'The Miner' a major player

COEUR d'ALENE — If you want to meet the man behind "The Miner," next Monday is your chance.

Local artist Terry Lee is scheduled to take part in the dedication of the bronze statue at 3 p.m. Monday at Sixth and Front Avenue.

Of his five creations standing tall in front of McEuen Park, "The Miner" is a sentimental favorite.

"This is the one I had been itching to do," he said.

The Miner was commissioned by Hecla Mining for $50,000 and donated to the city.

A plaque at the base of the statue reads: "Dedicated to the men and women who created Idaho's world-renowned Silver Valley and continue to provide the minerals essential to our lives.

"And to Art Brown, President and CEO 1987-2003 Hecla Mining Company."

Brown passed away Feb. 9, 2022, in Surprise, Ariz. He was 81.

Members of the Brown family are expected to attend.

Lee’s other works at Sixth and Front, “American Worker,” “Idaho Farmer,” “Idaho Lumberjack” and the most recent, “The Suffragist” installed in August 2020.

He said most people today don't know that Coeur d'Alene was once home to five lumber mills or of the impact of farming on the Rathdrum Prairie or how mining once dominated the Silver Valley.

Lee said "The Miner" took a little longer than normal due to a change in the composition, but it came together well.

It is joined by an ore cart that weighs 600 pounds.

Lee has deep ties to mining.

He said family members operated a sporting goods store for a time in Coeur d'Alene, and miners were among his best customers.

They worked hard and often spent money on outdoors and guns.

Lee said farming, lumber and mining have been the big three driving forces in North Idaho's work history and he's proud to honor them.

"The mining industry is a huge part of Coeur d'Alene," he said.

Coeur d'Alene Arts Commission Chair Mary Lee Ryba will open and close the ceremony. Lee and a Hecla spokesperson are also expected to say a few words.