The Washburn Water Tower in the Tangletown neighborhood of Minneapolis, MN is ringed by 16-foot-tall ominous and sword-wielding soldiers standing sentry under huge concrete eagles.
The soldiers are "guardians of health" designed to protect Minneapolitans from typhoid. When the edifice was constructed in 1932, tainted water had been linked to the disease.
Wikipedia article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washburn_Park_Water_TowerCategory:
water tower minneapolis washburn interesting place 
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