Abstract:
Located in a shady spot near the Spanish-American War Memorial, this bench was dedicated to Joe B. Acken, an artist and architect from New York City. In later life, he was confined to a wheelchair and came to Plant Park to paint and play checkers. The bench was removed in 1999 during a construction project. The inscription reads: 1871 Joe B. Acken 1930 Hate hypocrisy, love all beauty and face each day smiling.