Crane removes Robert E. Lee statue from Dallas park

DALLAS — After 81 years, Gen. Robert E. Lee’s patrol along Turtle Creek has ended.

The statue of the Civil War commander astride his horse Traveller and accompanied by a young soldier was removed quietly Thursday amid a noisy national debate over Confederate monuments.

A crane truck had arrived about 4 p.m. at Lee Park in Oak Lawn after squad cars blocked ramps on Interstate 35E to ensure its safe travel to Turtle Creek Boulevard.

On Sunday night, a tractor-trailer carrying a crane from Houston to remove the statue was involved in a deadly collision just south of downtown Dallas. That crane was damaged and could not complete the job.

Officials had trouble finding a crane suited to the job, with much of the necessary equipment in Houston devoted to recovery efforts after Hurricane Harvey.

But by about 6:30 p.m. Thursday, all logistical — and legal — challenges were overcome, and the 14-foot statue was lifted from its pedestal.

Delivery driver Chris Reid, 36, came to observe the historic removal.

For a long time, he had not known what the statue commemorated. But once he learned it was the likeness of the Confederate general, he wanted to see it removed.

“This man shed his blood, sweat and tears to make sure my ancestors stayed enslaved,” said Reid, who is black. “I can’t be happy about that.”