Cambridge Unveils Statue of Hometown Hero

CAMBRIDGE, Ohio – For many people throughout the 1940s and 50s, the fictional cowboy Hopalong Cassidy symbolized the American spirit. Friday, the hometown of the actor that played “Hoppy,” had a statue dedicated to him.

William Boyd was born in Belmont County in 1895 and spent a significant portion of his childhood in Cambridge before he left for Oklahoma and eventually California, where he went on to play the role of Hopalong Cassidy in almost 100 movies and TV shows.

Hopalong Cassidy started as a character created by Clarence Mulford in 1904 for his western novels. Originally Cassidy was a rugged and violent character, but once Boyd began portraying the cowboy in radio dramas and in black-and-white movies he evolved into someone who never smoked, drank, swore, and someone who always stood for justice.

New Concord native Laura Bates founded the Hopalong Cassidy fan club in 1991. Like many people, she remembers ‘Hoppy’ as an important part of American history in the mid-20th century.

“He became a grandfather figure to a lot of boys who were without fathers,” said Bates. “He taught me right from wrong.”

Friday, the 700-pound statue was unveiled in front of fan club members from as far away as California. Many were dressed in all black and with spurs to replicate the look of the famous cowboy. The statue was made by noted Zanesville sculpture Alan Cottrill who said it was an honor to work on a memorial for someone who meant so much to him.

“I was very excited about it. I was raised in the 1950s and watching ‘Hoppy’ movies and thinking of doing right and good like ‘Hoppy’ did,” said Cotrill. “So it was a real honor and pleasure to do one of my boyhood heroes. It was a simpler time. There was good and there was bad.”

The stature is now on display in front of the Guernsey County Senior Citizens Center.