What started as a sardonic comment at a meeting of Marysville’s Convention and Tourism committee has turned into a citywide celebration of the town’s mascot, the black squirrel.
While discussing ways to spend advertising dollars, Rick Stoll, a member of the tourism committee at the time, jokingly suggested the group purchase a tall statue of a black squirrel and place it in City Park. When visitors come to Marysville, Stoll thought, they will take photos with the squirrel and share them on social media. The photos will go viral and attract tourists to the city.
Committee members laughed, then paused realizing Stoll had a creditable idea.
When the project began in the spring of 2015, the committee hoped they would sell ten statues. The project was so popular twenty-one statues were sold and put on display a little over a year later in October 2016.
To get the project started, the committee asked April Spicer, art teacher at Marysville High School, for help with designing the basic statue. Spicer turned the project over to her students, and 17 of them created a squirrel sculpture prototype for the committee to consider. Each sculpture was about 18 inches tall.
The design submitted by Rachel Frese was chosen as the prototype.
The committee then contacted Patrick Keough, owner of America’s Fiberglass Animals, Seward, Neb. Keough is one of the few fiberglass sculpture artists in the country; he took the original sculpture and turned it into the 5-foot-tall statue.
“Just say the words ‘5-foot-tall black squirrel’ to anyone outside of Marysville and the expressions you get in return are priceless,” chuckled Maureen Crist, who owns Sudsy the squirrel located at SuperWash. “The best part is that it’s always followed by a smile. The squirrels are fun and unique and I’m so grateful for the creative minds that brought them to town.”
After the initial squirrels were put out, there was a demand to add more to the parade. The committee put out an all-call asking for businesses, families and organizations to purchase a squirrel. Again, the committee hoped to sell ten, and were elated when they sold thirteen.
“We are amazed every week by their sustained popularity,” said Barb Kickhaefer, one of the organizers. “There is always someone out taking a selfie or posing with a black squirrel statue.”
When the City of Marysville celebrated their golden anniversary as Black Squirrel City in 2022, 17 more squirrel statues were added, bringing the grand total to 51.
As the popularity of the squirrels on parade has grown, so has the pride felt by local residents. Where once people casually mentioned the town’s mascot, now they proudly volunteer they live in Black Squirrel City.
This popularity has spread to local businesses who now sell black squirrel merchandise: T-shirts, stuffed animals, coffee mugs, Christmas ornaments and wine stoppers. Local organizations have created events celebrating the squirrels. OneMarysville now hosts an annual event, Squirrels Just Wanna Have Fun, inviting women to shop in downtown Marysville and take selfies with the squirrels.
“I feel the squirrels have shot our town to stardom,” said Mandy Keller, a resident of Black Squirrel City. “It’s nice to have something unique to attract locals as well as out-of-towners to take pictures with them, learn about them and celebrate them.”
