If you’re looking for a historical marker honoring the three men credited with founding Oak Harbor, you’ll need to have a good eye.

Near the end of City Beach Street, under a tree and partially obscured by bushes is a plaque affixed to a stone that gives a brief description of how Ulrich Freund, Clement Sumner and Zakarias Taftezon arrived on the shores of Oak Harbor in 1851 to stake their land claims.

It’s no wonder it’s a little known part of Oak Harbor’s history, Sue Karahalios contends.

She wants to shine a light on the men and their pivotal role in the city’s history.

Karahalios, a former Oak Harbor council member, state representative and educator, is relaunching a fundraising campaign to bring a sculpture to the city’s waterfront that would honor those three founders.

The project was brought to the city’s attention six years ago. It won council approval, but it was placed on hold after the city became immersed in negotiations with the Swinomish Tribe following the discovery of Native American bones during a Pioneer Way construction project in 2011.

With that matter settled in 2014, Karahalios said she believed it was an appropriate time to focus again on the starting point of the Oak Harbor community and begin looking toward the future.

The “Land Claim Founders Sculpture” will cost $37,000. So far, $13,000 has been raised through private donations, mostly by word of mouth, Karahalios said.

The sculpture would be a public piece of abstract art created by artist Richard Nash.

It is designed to be nearly 11 feet tall and rest next to the walkway near the waterfront at Windjammer Park — just east of City Beach Street.

The piece would be made of Corten steel with three two-piece units set into the corners of a triangular base — wide enough apart that it will be accessible to the public on the inside and out.

The units represent each of the city’s founders. The sculpture will be lit from the interior so it can be seen at night.

“We’re trying to say it’s a guiding light,” Karahalios said. “From sea, land and air, you will be able to see where our community started from.”

This origin is traced to Jan. 4, 1851 when Freund, Sumner and Taftezon were granted the fourth oldest land claims in the state, Karahalios said.

They were adventurous men with diverse backgrounds who had met in New Orleans, Karahalios said.

Freund was born in Switzerland, Sumner in Massachusetts and Taftezon in Norway.

In what would become Oak Harbor, the three settlers found a Native American Indian encampment.

Sumner and Taftezon would eventually sell their land to Capt. Edward Barrington, the subject of another recent sculpture project on Pioneer Way.

The Freund family still owns part of its original land claim.

In January, the city council again approved the Land Claim Founders Sculpture project and site for the artwork, pending funding.

And that’s what Karahalios’ team, in partnership with the Rotary Club of Oak Harbor, is setting out to accomplish.

She sees it as a significant landmark guiding the rejuvenation of Windjammer Park that is taking place.

To learn more about the project or how to donate, emails should be sent to ohfounderssculpture@gmail.com.

Nash created the conceptual rendering of the piece years ago. He said he considers the piece a “strong and thoughtful work that represents the concept of the land claims founders well as a public sculpture.”

“It’s designed to be user-friendly so people can walk in and around it,” Nash said.

“I think there’s a difference between public art and regular type of art. You want this to be engaging.

“You want it to be something people can enjoy.”