County of statue: McDonough County
Location of statue: W. Adams St. & US-67, Westen Investments lawn, Macomb
Artist: Natalie Shelly
Date: 2015
This very bulldog is the mascot for Western Illinois University, which is located in this city.
This is one of many (37 I believe) that is an art project ramrodded by WIU and the City to beautify the city and promote the University.
Young artists are encouraged to place a statue of the WIU mascot somewhere in Macomb, and the student will be graded and have the opportunity to win a scholarship from $1,500 to $3,000.
This is Natalie Shelly's version
This is part of a city wide campaign, see Associated Press article about them all
"Rocky the Bulldog is the mascot for Western Illinois University athletic teams. This two-legged caricature had its start in 1958 when a live four-legged English Bulldog, purchased by Student Government, was marched throughout the football stadium during home games. He was named "Colonel Rock" in honor of Western’s legendary Athletic Director and Coach Ray "Rock" Hanson, a Marine colonel. In 1971 a 900-pound cement statue of Rocky was set in place just north of the University Union, adjacent to Hanson Field. The statue was moved to the stadium’s entryway when the facility was updated in 2002.
"Col. Rock III, WIU's third live mascot, joined the Leatherneck family in May 2010." ~ WIU Site