The statue of Last Chance Joe that stood outside John Ascuaga's Nugget in Sparks for more than 50 years has settled in to a new home. Monday morning the 36-foot statue took a ride on a flatbed trailer to the Sparks Museum on Victorian Avenue. There, workers carefully lifted the 5,800 pound statue into place in front of the museum.
Last Chance Joe stood in front of John Ascuaga's Nugget from 1958 until earlier this fall. Sparks Museum board secretary Dick Dreiling says the larger-than-life statue had to move somewhere. "Back around June the new owners of the Nugget decided they were going to redecorate the front of the building and Joe simply didn't fit into their plans," he said.
Donors stepped forward and plans were made to move the familiar icon to the museum. Volunteers say Joe will be a popular part of school tours in the future. "A lot of school kids don't know who Last Chance Joe is. They think he's Santa Claus," Dreiling said. “He looks like a gunfighter, but he's actually supposed to be a miner," Dreiling continued.
Moving the huge statue into his new home today, took some doing. "He's quite sturdy. And to get him mounted out in front of the museum, men actually had to climb inside and go all the way down into his feet and each of his feet is bolted to the pavement out there," Dreiling said.
And now, the giant icon is standing tall in his new home. "This is Last Chance Joe's second chance," said Dreiling.”
The Sparks Museum and Cultural Center is open Tuesday through Saturday, but you can see Last Chance Joe anytime.
