When the Naperville Heritage Society commissioned a sculpture of the city’s founder, Captain Joseph Naper, local artist Dick Locher, known for his Dick Tracy comic strip and political cartoons, was selected to design the monument.

Locher visited Naper’s Homestead site and, with the help of Bryan Ogg, curator of research for the heritage societies Naper Settlement Museum, researched the 1830s before making sketches. Locher’s concept was brought to life by sculptor Jeff Adams in this 9 ½ foot monumental sculpture.