KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Nearly a year after a monument was stolen from a Knox County park, local officials gathered Wednesday for the unveiling of a replacement.

Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon, State Rep. Sam McKenzie, and other local leaders came to Thomas “Tank” Strickland Park in East Knoxville to celebrate the unveiling of the new statue.

The original bronze statue depicting two children reading on a park bench was donated by Town Hall East in 2010. It was stolen in August 2024 and never located.

New statues at Thomas “Tank” Strickland Park in East Knoxville (WATE)
Officials cut the ribbon at the unveiling of new statues at Thomas “Tank” Strickland Park in East Knoxville (WATE)
New statues at Thomas “Tank” Strickland Park in East Knoxville (WATE)
New statues at Thomas “Tank” Strickland Park in East Knoxville (WATE)

New security cameras have been installed at the park in partnership with the Knox County Public Library.

The park is located at 4618 Asheville Highway. It was named after Thomas “Tank” Strickland, a longtime community servant who was the first African-American chair of the Knox County Commission and worked under Knoxville mayors as Knoxville’s community relations director.