Lagoon makes room for Utah history

FARMINGTON -- Three large lions arrived at Lagoon by semitruck and trailer Thursday afternoon.

None of the 12,000-pound kings of the beasts are associated with the amusement park's Wild Kingdom Train Ride, a mini-zoo as it were.

Lagoon, through an eBay auction, acquired three of the available four concrete lions that were previously positioned on the steps of the Utah Capitol.

The fourth lion is being purchased by a Salt Lake City resident.

Lagoon bid just under $16,000 for the three pieces, park advertising manager Lance Eastman said.

The lions are in various stages of decay and were sold by the Utah Capitol Preservation Board because it did not deem them worth restoring.

Lagoon consulted with restorers, who believed the lions could be put into good condition, before making the purchase, Eastman said.

Arriving by semitruck, the lions were slowly hoisted off the flatbed trailer by crane -- the same crane the amusement park uses to build its rides -- and gently placed in a parking area where the pieces, originally sculpted in 1915 by artist Gavin Jack, will be restored for the second time.

"It is the intent of Lagoon to restore and preserve these historical artifacts, with them prominently displayed at Lagoon for the enjoyment of guests," Eastman said. "They're a piece of Utah."

There has been some discussion that the lions may be positioned somewhere in Pioneer Village, or at the entrance of a ride, but park officials said nothing has been determined.

One of the lions contains a time capsule from 1977, Eastman said.

That's the year the statues were restored by local sculptor Ralphael Plescia.

"It's coming to a nice place," said the 71-year-old Plescia, who was at Lagoon on Thursday to ensure the preservation of the pieces.

"They're here. That means they are going to stay in history," Plescia said.

It was under the late Gov. Calvin Rampton's direction that restoration work on the lions began in 1976 after state leaders determined they couldn't afford to replace them, he said.

Plescia said it took him about five weeks to convince government leaders he could restore the pieces that Rampton said had become an eyesore.

"They had no other proposals," he said.

But it took the musical instrument repairman much longer to do the work than the original six months he had anticipated it would take.

"It ended up being 12 hours to 18 hours a day for two years," Plescia said, who received about $10,000 for the job.

The extended time frame was because of major changes needed to be made to the statues, such as reshaping the lion's forehead, eyes and jaw line, Plescia said. Considering the restoration work took place more than 40 years ago, Plescia said, he is pleased with how the lions have withstood being out in the elements. "They weathered well."

"They're very majestic," Eastman said of the lion statues that are about 5 feet tall, and 6 to 8 feet long.

"I hope the restoration doesn't take as long as the original," Eastman said.