The Sculptures at Independence Square

The Sculptures at Independence Square. Bronze Boundary Figures by Raymond Kaskey. , The historic figures of Commerce, Industry and Transportation represent enterprises which have contributed to Charlotte's growth as a major commercial center. While honoring Charlotte's past, the three figures all look toward the fourth figure, the Future., Commerce , On the Northwest corner, a prospector panning for gold represents the gold mining boom which followed the discovery of gold near Charlotte in 1799 and the opening of a U.S. Mint here in 1837. The prospector empties his pan over a secondary figure representing banking and finance., Industry , On the Southwest corner, a woman millworker recalls Charlotte's early textile factories. Below, the face of a child represents the children who labored alongside their parents in the mills during the days before enactment of child labor laws. The child's face is a self-portrait of the sculptor, Raymond Kaskey, as a child., Transportation , On the Southeast corner, an African American laborer honors the builders of the first railroads in Charlotte in the 1850s, leading to the city's status as a transportation hub. The number 1041 commemorates a steam locomotive named "Charlotte" which once pulled trains through the city. The eagle represents air transportation., The Future , On the Northeast corner, a mother and child symbolize the future of Charlotte. Beneath the mother figure are leaves and flowers of the dogwood, the state flower of North Carolina. A hornet's nest calls to mind the historic nickname for Mecklenburg County.