Flathead Monster comes ashore in Polson

A sinuous creature now swims in Sacajawea Park, thanks in large part to the vision of Pat Binger, the artistry of sculptor John Leon, and the hard work of Polson City Parks and Recreation staff.

“I wanted to do something for the community and I thought of different things and finally settled on the Flathead Lake Monster,” said Binger, while admiring the sculpture last Friday. From its perch on the south end of the park, the monster will be visible to those heading east across the Polson bridge.

“I thought nobody else has one around the lake, so let's claim one for Polson and have the tourists come,” she said, adding wryly, “and then go home.”

She had some strict parameters: “I didn’t want it to look like a dragon,” nor have “spiky things,” or a scary demeanor, since it was meant to befriend kids at the park, not scare them.

An art committee was formed and solicited proposals. Leon, an accomplished Cincinnati sculptor, won them over with his drawing of “this whimsical, darling, sweet little monster,” said Binger.

Actually, the Flathead Lake Monster – while certainly whimsical – isn’t so little. The creature measures 25-feet long and about 10-feet wide from flipper to flipper.

Leon says it’s the largest bronze sculpture he’s created, although he’s made plenty of life-sized works.

His first sketches were based on illustrations that Binger sent to him of the lake’s fabled resident.

“When I'm given an assignment like that, you kind of gather together different inspirations and images in your mind and then they muddle around in there and something comes out,” he said. “And that's what happened here.”

After winning the commission, Leon built a small model in clay. “When it's small, I can turn the head a little bit, or tweak it, and finesse all the little fine things,” Leon said. “I try to get that as accurate as I can so that when we enlarge it, it's very true to what I want it to be.”

Once the model met the committee’s approval, he began to refine the expression on the monster’s face and the surface texture, and figure out how to give the creature a fluid feel, as though she’s swimming in the lake instead of stranded on land.

“I just wanted it to have a good rhythm and a flow to it and a happy feel and I think it worked pretty well,” he said, eyeing the finished piece.

He made the sculpture as large as Polson’s building code would allow, and textured it heavily. After sculpting it in clay, rubber molds were made, and then a wax copy that was cut into smaller pieces. From the wax forms, about 30 ceramic molds were created and became the receptacles for the molten bronze, poured by the Cincinnati Foundry.

Once the pieces were poured, the foundry team welded them back together. “There's a lot of hand work that goes into refinishing the surface so that it will look like my original clay sculpture,” said Leon.

The foundry also added the rich gold, brown and black patinas. The artist has cast close to 600 sculptures with them, and trusts their workmanship.

Leon says the completed sculpture was shipped last Monday and arrived in Polson Wednesday morning.

Waiting were Parks and Rec director Pat Nowlen and foreman Walter Eggebrecht, who spent the next two days preparing the site at Sacajawea and installing the concrete forms that the monster reclines upon. Nowlen said they were well-organized for the installation, which went smoothly.

The Greater Polson Community Foundation financed the cost of the installation and the blue cushioned artificial turf that will go around the monster.

Nowlen expects to install the turf in early August. Meanwhile, he spray-painted the gravel blue, to emulate the lake.

Until the soft turf is in place, Nowlen says kids (and adults) need to resist the temptation to clamber around on the monster. “Until that's done, they just get to look at it and take the picture.”

Next, the city, with help from the Polson Flathead Museum, will fish around for Flathead Monster stories – and there are plenty. Sightings of an eel-like creature date back to 1889 and at least 80 have been documented over the years.

According to the Flathead Lakers, the largest number of sightings was recorded in 1993 by Laney Hanzel, a Lakers board member and retired fisheries biologist, and Paul Fugleberg, a long-time historian of monster sightings and a former editor of the Flathead Courier. Together they gathered 13 unusual sightings – by far the most of any year.

The North Lake County Library will encourage youngsters to nickname the creature.

“We’ve called it a she all this time and now that it's built and big, I guess we still think it's a she,” said Binger.

Who knows? Perhaps John Leon’s imaginative version will attract the real creature to the edge of Flathead Lake for a peek. Meanwhile, she’s sure to be a hit with locals and tourists alike.