DOWAGIAC — Ask 10 people what they consider to be Dowagiac’s most iconic landmark — the first item they think of when they get home — and residents will likely provide 10 different answers. Maybe it is the smiling face of the Judd Lumber, waving as visitors enter the city via train. Maybe it is the Mill Pond where residents spent their summers skipping rocks and watching the sun set.  Or maybe it is even one of Dowagiac’s many piece of public art.

Following the restoration of the Chieftain on the side of the Ameriwood building, Dowagiac residents have been discussing the visual markers of the city. Though they may disagree about which is most important, most will say that Dowagiac has many landmarks, each of which adds character to their hometown.

“These landmarks are how people find their place here in Dowagiac, and that is different for so many people,” said Bobbie Jo Hartline, assistant to the city manager. “People have told me that walking through the iron gates of Chris Taylor Alumni Field is how they know they are home. … For others, and for personally, myself, our best landmarks are those gathering places we would go with our families when we were younger. The city has so much to offer, and anything can be a landmark if you associate it with Dowagiac.”

The first landmark of the city many tend to think of is the first stop people visit when they reach Dowagiac: the train depot. Built in 1903, the current depot is Dowagiac’s third. Not only does the depot welcome visitors to the city every day, but it has been visited by a number of historical figures including past presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.

“We are very proud [of the depot],” Hartline said. “There aren’t many places that have a working, historic depot anymore.”

“It is certainly a landmark to be drawn to,” added Director of the Dowagiac History Museum Steve Arseneau. “Some exciting stuff has happened there.”

Another landmark is Judd Lumber, which is located within spitting distance of the depot. Built in 1859, Judd Lumber is Dowagiac’s oldest existing business and is the oldest lumber yard in the state.

“Judd Lumber is iconic and is truly a landmark business in the city,” Arseneau said. “There is a lot of history there and in the town in general. … All these places really say that we have worked hard to preserve our history here.”

Though these historic landmarks are iconic and important to the city, according to Dowagiac leaders, others find value in the city’s public sculptures. Fifteen in total, the sculptures can be found around the city, ranging in everything from animals to dancers to more abstract pieces of art.

“My landmark will always be ‘Dance of Creation.’ She got this all started,” said Thelda Mathews, who played a vital role in procuring and placing sculptures throughout the city. “The city has even adopted her as their logo.”

“Dance of Creation,” a bronze sculpture by artist Tuck Langland, was the first sculpture dedicated to Dowagiac in 1995. It was gifted by the Tremble-Dalton families. From there, more art was dedicated to the city to make the city’s collection.

Mathews said the sculpture collection is more than just a landmark for residents, but also an attraction for visitors, saying she knows people who have traveled from as far as Chicago to see the sculptures in Dowagiac.

“It is unusual for a city our size to have amassed such a nice collection of public art,” Mathews said. “It adds economic and cultural stimulus, and draws people. … I think the art says that we are a city that cares about our city.”

Some Dowagiac residents are unable to choose a favorite landmark. When City Manager Kevin Anderson thinks of a local landmark, he cannot pick just one. When asked, he rattled off a list that included the Mill Pond, the public art, the hospital, the two mansions in Dowagiac and the downtown itself. Living in the city, some things can become part of the “wallpaper,” and can be overlooked and forgotten, he said. However, he said if people looked around, they would find many aspects of Dowagiac to be proud of and consider an attraction.

“Dowagiac plays a lot bigger than it is,” Anderson said. “By that I mean, really since its beginnings, it has been the heart of the county. Yes, the county seat is [in Cassopolis], but in terms of commerce and where things are, Dowagiac has been it. [The landmarks of the city] add everything to that. Every community has a personality. For us, it is a series of interesting and unique places.”

No matter what people consider to be Dowagiac’s most interesting or most unique place, Hartline said she hopes people will continue to find a sense of belonging in the city’s landmarks as time goes on, the landmarks change and the city itself changes.

“I think what you consider to be a landmark depends on the generation,” Hartline said. “I remember there was a fountain in a park near the hospital, but when that was paved over, it was devastating. That fountain had held coins for generations, but then ‘Dance of Creation’ was put in that footprint. She embodies that same landmark feeling. A generation before me would remember the fountain. The generation after me will remember ‘Dance of Creation.’ I think there is beauty in that.”