The Closing Era is a bronze sculpture of a Native American hunter standing over a dying bison, installed on the East side of the Colorado State Capitol in Denver.[1][2] The statute was created by Preston Powers, the son of famous sculptor Hiram Powers and "represents the end of the traditional lifestyle of Native Americans in Colorado".[3] It was originally created in 1893 for the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago and subsequently donated to the state of Colorado and erected on a granite base. The base originated from Cotopaxi in Fremont County, Colorado. Powers commissioned a poem from John Greenleaf Whittier for the base of the statue.[3]

The Closing Era
The statue in 2011
Map
MediumBronze sculpture
LocationDenver, Colorado, U.S.
Coordinates39°44′21″N 104°59′02″W / 39.739235°N 104.983983°W / 39.739235; -104.983983

The original idea came from real estate investors who wanted to commission a sandstone statue to lure newcomers to the Perry Park area of Denver. When the idea did not materialize, a group called the "Fortnightly Club" under the leadership of Mrs. E. M. Ashley and Eliza Routt determined the same idea would be a good addition to the Colorado State's exhibit at the 1893 World's Fair Exposition in Chicago. The group commissioned Powers to create the sculpture in bronze instead of sandstone.[4]

Base poem

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The poem at the base reads:

The mountain eagle from his snow-locked peaks

For the wild hunter and the bison seeks,

In the chang'd world below; and find alone

Their graven semblance, in the eternal stone.

Vandalism

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In August, 2015, the bow being held by the Native American was stolen but later recovered. According to police spokeswoman Christine Downs, the bow was "discovered tossed over the District 2 police station fence" on September 2, 2015, which is approximate five miles away.[5]

References

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  1. ^ "Grounds". State of Colorado. Archived from the original on March 28, 2020. Retrieved February 11, 2020.
  2. ^ Hern, Elizabeth (2015-09-04). "Missing bow from historic Denver statue found on Friday". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on 2019-07-02. Retrieved 2020-02-12.
  3. ^ a b "Colorado Capitol Grounds". Archived from the original on 2020-10-17.
  4. ^ "Closing Era - Denver, CO - Figurative Public Sculpture on Waymarking.com". www.waymarking.com. Archived from the original on 2022-03-26. Retrieved 2022-03-26.
  5. ^ "Missing bow from historic Denver statue found on Friday". The Denver Post. 2015-09-04. Archived from the original on 2021-02-13. Retrieved 2022-03-26.
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