By means of a resolution approved on March 4, 1914, the General Assembly appropriated two hundred dollars for the expense of unveiling a statue of William Goebel "Kentucky's martyred Governor" on March 11, 1914. The General Assembly on March 25, 1904, had appropriated twenty thousand dollars for the statue.
Two statues of Goebel were commissioned. This pensive one, installed at the capitol, was later removed to the Old State Capitol grounds, near the spot where he was shot. The other, representing the fiery orator with fist raised upward, was installed at the Frankfort Cemetery. Some speculate that the installations were intended to be reversed, with the more thoughtful pose destined for the cemetery. Kentucky Historical Society Collections.
