Lewis and Clark Memorial Column

The Lewis and Clark Memorial Column is an outdoor monument by artist Otto Schumann, dedicated to Meriwether Lewis and William Clark for their expedition and located at Washington Park in Portland, Oregon.

Lewis and Clark Memorial Column
The sculpture in 2006, viewed from the southwest
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Year1908 (1908)
TypeSculpture
MediumSnake River granite, bronze
Dimensions10.5 m (34.5 ft); 0.76 m diameter (2.5 ft)
Condition"Well maintained" (1993)
LocationPortland, Oregon, United States
Coordinates45°31′17″N 122°42′05″W / 45.521388°N 122.70139°W / 45.521388; -122.70139
OwnerCity of Portland's Metropolitan Arts Commission

Description

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The sculpture, made of Snake River granite, is a Classical column with a sphere on top. It is approximately 34 feet, 6 inches tall, with a diameter of 2.5 feet. The obelisk sits on a square base that is approximately 5 feet, 5 inches tall. The base's sides display bronze seals for the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana, which once comprised the Oregon Territory. An illuminated path leads up the monument. According to the Smithsonian Institution, the work is administered by City of Portland's Metropolitan Arts Commission.[1]

History

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The memorial was commissioned around 1902 by the Lewis & Clark Exposition Commission for approximately $10,500 as a "gift of the people of Oregon in memory" of the duo. President Theodore Roosevelt laid the first cornerstone on May 21, 1903, and the piece was completed and dedicated in 1908. It was surveyed and considered "well maintained" by Smithsonian's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program in November 1993.[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Lewis and Clark Memorial Column, (sculpture)". Smithsonian Institution. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 29, 2014.
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