Our friends at Forgotten NY recently shared the story behind Central Park's famous dog statue, a tribute to a Siberian Husky named "Balto".
Balto was a Siberian Husky who led a dogsled team carrying desperately needed diphtheria antitoxin through a blizzard to Nome, Alaska, in January 1925. A plaque below Balto’s statue is a relief of the seven sled dogs on their grueling 600-mile journey. Sculptor Frederick G. R. Roth made animals his specialty; two more of his works, Dancing Goat and Honey Bear, both from 1927, are in the Central Park Zoo. The present Iditarod sled dog race (and ultimately, the Idiotarod hipster shopping cart race held every January) was inspired by Balto and the sled dogs’ journey.
Check out the full article for more.
via Forgotten NY
Matt Coneybeare
Editor in Chief
Matt enjoys exploring the City's with his partner and son. He is an avid marathon runner, and spends most of his time eating, running, and working on cool stuff.
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