Jack E. Anderson

Jack E. Anderson (September 10, 1929 – December 5, 1993) was a metal sculptor of large commemorative statues that are roadside attractions in the Midwestern United States.

They formed a foundation to plan and create the religious/historical monument[9][10] and chose L'Anse ("end of the bay" in French) as the site because it was an area often traveled by Baraga.

[9] Anderson of Copper Country Arts in Lake Linden presented a scale model for the proposed 60-foot (18 m) high shrine inspired by Lambert's book Shepherd of the Wilderness.

[9] The statue features a "35-foot (11 m) tall, hand-wrought brass statue of Baraga holding a 7-foot (2 m) cross in his right hand and a 26-foot (8 m) pair of snowshoes in his left" that "would ‘float' on a silver cloud of stainless steel" with laminated wood beams rising 25 feet (8 m) from five concrete tepees "representing missions established by Bishop Baraga", and set on top of the red rocks overlooking Lake Superior's Keweenaw Bay on land donated by the Patrick Ellico family.

[9] The Upper Peninsula Power Company provided free technical assistance, and the Evergreen Nurseries of Allegan, Michigan, donated a landscaping plan.