Chief Mazeppa - Talbot Street St Thomas Ontario Tourist Attraction - Talbot Times Tidbit

St Thomas Times Journal
7 July 1959
Page 1, c1 - with Photo

Submitted by Carol Van Harn

 

Mystery Solved

            The mystery surrounding the disappearance of Chief Mazeppa, the cigar store Indian which was a tourist attraction on Talbot Street for many years has been cleared up.  At the end of this month, Chief Mazeppa will again stand on Talbot Street in front to the remodeled Camera Shop to interest visitors to the city.  A Plaque inscribed as follows will be attached to the life-size figure: “Chief Mazeppa”.  This cast metal statue is one of the last of the famous tribe of Cigar Store Indians on the North American continent.  It was acquired in 1883 for display purposes outside the old Honsinger Cigar Store.  Its first owner was Ben Honsinger, later being passed on to Pat Honsinger, Perry David and I. B. Carnes, who eventually sold it to A. E. Maxwell, retired tobacconist, whose retail and wholesale business was conducted at this location until 1954.”

            Chief Mazeppa is presently undergoing a face lifting in a local workshop in readiness for his debut a the end of this month.