(Photo by Amber Phipps) A tribute was paid to Perl Totman for his expert craftsmanship on the Pioneer and the Frontiersman on Friday.

A tribute to local artist Perl Totman took place on the front steps of the Local History and Genealogy Library on 418 Washington St. on Friday evening.

Totman, 94, was in attendance for the weekend’s events which began with a dedication ceremony on Friday. Totman sat at the front steps where he was approached by close friends and fellow wood carvers who congratulated him on his success.

“I enjoy doing this so much because of all of the people I’ve met who were interested in what I was doing,” said Totman.

Totman is well-known in Marietta for having carved two wood sculptures — the Pioneer and the Frontiersman — that were made from ash trees he found by the river. With over 900 hours spent carving during the course of four years, Totman completed both sculptures by 2020.

“When I saw these trees down by the river, I just knew that they had to be carved,” said Totman. “It was my pleasure and actually my duty to do it and I enjoyed every bit of it.”

(Photo by Amber Phipps) The Pioneer is placed to the left of the steps at the genealogy library which is open to the public during regular hours.

Roger Kalter, volunteer and friend, stated that he saw a video from artist Michael Dickenson that showed Totman carving and “he could not believe the speed at which his arm was moving.”

Totman’s carving journey began when he was just 3 years old using bars of soap. He went on to live an extraordinary life traveling the world and meeting so many people, some of whom were present on Friday evening.

“Hopefully this has been an inspiration to others to take advantage of the resources we have in this region and I hope people will be inspired to pick up a chisel and see what they can do,” said Totman.

The two wood sculptures, placed on either side of the porch at the genealogy library, weigh up to 1,000 pounds, according to Kalter.

The sculptures were preserved using cleaning and resealing techniques after being removed from Muskingum Park in 2024.

(Photo by Amber Phipps) Local artist Perl Totman and friend Roger Kalter are situated in front of the steps of the Local History and Genealogy Library in Marietta to pay tribute to Totman.

As a tribute to Totman and his craftsmanship, the wood sculptures now reside at the genealogy library where guests can admire the works of art.

“I just want to thank everybody for being here,” said Totman.

The genealogy library is open to the public for viewing from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the week. Totman and volunteers encouraged people to come visit.

More information is available at the Washington County Public Library website on upcoming events.

(Photo by Amber Phipps) The Frontiersman was restored and placed on the steps of the genealogy building after removal from Muskingum Park last fall.