PIERRE, S.D. (DRG News) – The bronze statue of former South Dakota Gov. Samuel Elrod (5^th) was placed along the Trail of Governors in Pierre Friday morning. The statue is on Capitol Avenue in front of the historic St. Charles building.

Elrod’s statue, along with Archie Gubbrud’s (22^nd) and Dennis Daugaard’s (32^nd) were unveiled last month. They are the 23^rd, 24^th and 25^th statues placed on display from the State Capitol grounds to downtown Pierre near the Missouri River.

Trail of Governors statues cost around $72,000 each and are paid for using private donations, not state government funds. Find more information at www.TrailofGovernors.com.

Pierre businessmen Leroy Foster and Rick Jensen came up with the idea for the Trail of Governors. A foundation was formed in 2010 and the first bronze statues (Arthur Mellette 1^st, Harlan Bushfield 16^th and Walter D. Miller 29th) were placed in 2012. South Dakota artists Lee Leuning, John Lopez, James Michael Maher, Sherri Treeby and James Van Nuys have been selected to create the sculptures.