LAWRENCEBURG, Ind. — Take a trip to Argosy Casino here and you can head home flush or with your pockets turned inside out. But there will always be at least one winner — the 200-year-old river town Argosy calls home.

The New War Memorial to the Common Man in Lawrenceburg. (Ernest Coleman photo) | ZOOM |

        About half of Lawrenceburg's 4,700 residents gathered on the banks of the Ohio River Saturday afternoon to dedicate a $2.5 million “War Memorial to the Common Man.” It was the capstone of the city's year-long bicentennial celebration and the beginning of what leaders hope will be a glamorous revival of the frayed-around-the-edges riverfront.

        It will cost plenty — tens of millions of dollars. But Lawrenceburg is good for it, thanks to casino gambling.

        “There's no question about it; without casino gambling, we wouldn't be here today,” said Mayor Paul Tremain Sr., standing in front of the massive war memorial at the foot of Walnut Street that city leaders hope will become a tourist attraction.

        Since Argosy opened six years ago, it has pumped more than $250 million in tax money into Lawrenceburg. Some is distributed to other municipalities and non-profit agencies in Dearborn County, but most of it stays in city coffers.

        So far, the casino has funded not only the war memorial, but a municipal swimming pool, an adult activities center and a scholarship fund.

Lawrenceburg Firefighter Lt. Pat Myers looks at part of the New War Memorial. ([name of photographer] photo) | ZOOM |

        Ten years ago the sour-mash smell of whiskey distilleries hung over a struggling river town that had grown accustomed to springtime floods and hard economic times.

        But today, with the almost dizzying influx of money from the casino, city leaders have an ambitious riverfront development plan. It includes a convention center able to hold 3,000 people, a new 150-room hotel, restaurants, and upscale residential developments along a stretch of downtown riverfront that is now mostly gravel lots and rusted railroad tracks.

        “This is where this city started, right here on the riverfront,” Mr. Tremain said. “This is where it is going to be reborn.”

        Lawrenceburg was born in 1802 when Samuel Vance, a Revolutionary War soldier, landed at what is now the foot of Walnut Street and laid out a town he named after his wife's maiden name, Lawrence.

        Vance might well be stunned by the massive memorial that has been built on the spot where he landed, with its six smokestack-style columns, a massive clock that will mark each hour with a peal from a 30-bell carillon, and its 7-foot bronze statues.

        The statues on the east side represent a police officer, a firefighter and an emergency medical technician. Across the way are bronze statues of dress-uniformed soldiers, sailors and airmen of the five armed services.

Patricia and Bob Cameron of Aurora listen to the Star Spangled Banner during the dedication of the War Memorial. | ZOOM |

        Once a day, the military figures will turn. As they do, the carillon will play the service hymn of the statue facing the town.

        “We wanted to honor the people who serve this community and this nation every day,” said Marie Edwards, co-chair of the Lawrenceburg Bicentennial Commission.

        Ms. Edwards said the commission and city leaders went back and forth on what kind of monument to build for the bicentennial. Early ideas centered around the city's history, but, Ms. Edwards said, after the terrorist attacks of September 2001, it was decided it should honor “those who serve.”

        The back of the memorial has a giant paddle wheel to denote the city's river heritage.

        The 120,000-pound memorial was built by Cincinnati's Verdin Co. with pieces shipped by barge from Verdin's riverfront plant.

        “Before 9-11, we had expected to do a more whimsical thing, with dancing statues, a glockenspiel,” said Jim Verdin, company president. “But this is much more appropriate. This is a more forward-looking monument. This is something that we hope people are going to want to come here to see.”

        At Saturday's dedication, Argosy officials were on hand at the hospitality tent to see what the success of their gambling enterprise has produced for the host city.

        Argosy general manager Larry Kinser said that he has worked at other casinos around the country but has yet to see a host city where the impact of a casino has been as great as it has been in Lawrenceburg.

        “This is a wonderful thing, because we want downtown Lawrenceburg to be a tourist destination,” said Argosy general manager Larry Kinser. “What is good for Lawrenceburg is good for Argosy.”

        To Mr. Tremain, gambling was a good gamble for Lawrenceburg.

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