Tuscarora Heroes Monument is located in Lewiston, New York and stands as a testament of thanksgiving from the people of Lewiston to the Tuscarora Nation for saving the lives of dozens of local residents during the War of 1812 British attack on December 19, 1813. It consists of three 110% lifesize bronze sculptures that depict a tableau of two Tuscarora men rescuing a local woman and her baby from the British attack. It is recognized as the largest War of 1812 bicentennial monument project in the United States. Primary funding was provided by the Town of Lewiston using Niagara River Greenway funds, along with Niagara County, New York (also with Greenway funds), the KeyBank Foundation, the Margaret L. Wendt Foundation, the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, and the Daughters of 1812. The Village of Lewiston allowed the use of its park property to locate the monument. Concept and Design The monument project was conceived, planned and organized by an all-volunteer committee from the Historical Association of Lewiston, NY, which also raised all the funds. The committee was led by Lewiston's 1812 Bicentennial volunteer director, Lee Simonson, who advanced the idea of a tribute to the Tuscaroras in 2009 as one of two major bicentennial projects for the group to undertake, the other being the reenactment of the Battle of Queenston Heights. Because the significance of the Tuscarora intervention in the attack was relatively unknown, Simonson wrote the book, "Tuscarora Heroes", detailing the history and circumstances of the British attack and subsequent Tuscarora action. The book was published in March 2010 by the Historical Association of Lewiston and was introduced at an April 2010 press conference, along with a small clay model of the proposed monument by artist Susan Geissler. Geissler had received widespread acclaim for her sculpture work on Lewiston's Freedom Crossing Monument which had just been unveiled in October 2009. While the original sculpture concept design remained relatively unchanged, the platform where the sculptures were to be mounted underwent several major revisions, culminating in the final turtle design with stone pillars supporting a suspended bronze plaque that lists the names of the known Tuscarora Heroes, along with the names of those killed in the attack. A colorful interpretive Seaway Trail sign, with an historical timeline and map, is also at the site and provides a detailed history. Unveiling Thousands of spectators viewed the unveiling ceremony on December 19, 2013,