A statue of President Ronald Reagan is located at the Covington Tammany Trace Trailhead, downtown at the intersection of Lockwood and New Hampshire Streets. It is said to be the largest statue of Ronald Reagan in the world.
It was donated by the Patrtick F. Taylor Foundation, following the wishes of the late Patrick F. Taylor, a friend of Reagan's of many years. The dedication ceremony was on June 27, 2008.
The statue is on a large pedestal that features plaques telling visitors about the 40th president of the United States.
The statue is a commanding figure above the Covington Trailhead festivities.
.JPG)
The nine foot eight inch statue was sculpted by Patrick Miller, a well-known area sculptor from Bedico who has done many art works across the state. It weighs 1300 pounds.
President Reagan died in 2004, and five months later Taylor died. Taylor had founded the Taylor Energy Company LLC, and following his death in 2004, his wife Phyllis M. Taylor served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the company and Chairman and President of the Patrick F. Taylor Foundation.
She followed through on his wishes, and with the cooperation and encouragement of the Covington City Council, the statue was incorporated within the new Covington trailhead.
The dedication of the statue in 2008 was accompanied by a ceremony attended by around 200 local residents. Local schools and Boy Scout Troop members took part, with Lane Carson and Thomas S. Langston as guest speakers.
The main speaker was Michael G. Strain, a local veterinarian who was elected as Commissioner of Agriculture and Forestry for the state of Louisiana.
The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra's Brass Quartet provide the music for the occasion.
Ronald Reagan Highway
2003
In November of 2002, Covington City Council member Marty Dean proposed a resolution asking the state to name a stretch of U.S. Hwy. 190 between Hwy. 25 and the Tangipahoa Parish line as the "Ronald Reagan Highway." The council's motion was passed unanimously. Dean solicited the support of State Representative Mike Strain, who in 2003 brought the matter up in the Louisiana House of Representatives.
At that time, only the section of U.S. 190 between Hwy. 25 and the Tangipahoa Line would be renamed. In April of 2003 the motion was approved by the state legislature, but a few months later, in June, the measure was amended by Baton Rouge legislators who wanted to rename U.S. 190 all the way from the Mississippi State Line in eastern St. Tammany Parish to the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge in honor of Reagan.
The law became effective on August 15, 2003.
Patrick Taylor was on hand for the occasion of unveiling the highway's new name. He is shown above taking part in the ceremonies naming the highway.
