Spanish–American War Soldier's Monument

The Spanish–American War Soldier's Monument, also known as the Spanish–American War Memorial or simply Soldiers Monument,[1][2] is an outdoor sculpture and war memorial monument honoring the 2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment of the Spanish–American War and Philippine–American War, who fought to colonize the Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and Guam. The monument was created by American artist Douglas Tilden and located in Lownsdale Square, in the Plaza Blocks of downtown Portland, Oregon.[3] It features a bronze statue on a marble pedestal and granite base. The monument is part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council.[4]

Spanish American War Soldier’s Monument
The monument in 2015
ArtistDouglas Tilden
Year1906 (1906)
TypeSculpture
MediumBronze
LocationPortland, Oregon, United States
Coordinates45.516088°N 122.677318°W / 45.516088; -122.677318

Description
One of two Howitzer cannons collected in South Carolina and brought to Portland by Henry Dosch

The memorial statue was designed by sculptor Douglas Tilden and installed in Lownsdale Square in Portland's Plaza Blocks in 1906 to honor the 2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment troops who served in the Spanish–American War.[3][5] It features two Howitzer cannons, set low to the ground, which were collected in 1902 by Henry E. Dosch. He was given permission by the War Department to bring them to Portland after he found them buried in sand in Charleston, South Carolina. There is also a bronze plaque which reads: "Howitzers fired in the defense of Fort Sumpter 1861".[6]

History

Plans for a monument to honor the dead of the 2nd Oregon Volunteers began early in 1899 with the sale of book subscriptions for $0.25 with a small percentage going toward the monument.[7][8] The monument committee favored a design similar to one in honor of the 39th Pennsylvania Infantry at Gettysburg with a bronze statue and a marble pedestal.[9] The committee also required that the base, shaft, and cornice be cut from a single piece of granite and remain in one piece. E.W. Wright, the Portland representative of a quarry in Barre, Vermont, received a contract for $8,000, and the stone was cut in Vermont from Barre Granite and shipped to Portland.[10] A $5,000 contract was awarded for the statue.[11] Weight of the pedestal was 64,000 pounds (29,000 kg), and when topped by the statue the height was about 30 feet (9.1 m).[12] In 2020 the obelisk was vandalized by far-left rioters with the use of spray-paints. The paint has since been removed.[13]

See also

References
  1. "Spanish–American War Memorial (Portland, Oregon)". University of Oregon Libraries. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  2. "Lownsdale Square". City of Portland, Oregon. Retrieved July 4, 2014.
  3. "Public Art Search: Spanish American War Soldier's Monument". Regional Arts & Culture Council. Retrieved June 28, 2014.
  4. "Spanish–American War Soldier's Monument, 1906". cultureNOW. Retrieved July 13, 2014.
  5. "Spanish–American War Soldier's Monument". Public Art Archive. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  6. Saker, Anne (April 11, 2011). "In Downtown Portland, reminders of Civil War's start and the forces that created Oregon". The Oregonian. Retrieved July 14, 2014.
  7. "Local News Items". Oregon City Courier. A.W. Cheney. January 27, 1899. p. 4. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  8. Various fundraising efforts continued, although an apportion bill failed in the Oregon State Legislature that would have provided $8000 to the monument fund if the planners had included a plaque that recited "all of the deeds of valor since white men came to this country." See "Act on Monument: Committee of Fifteen Given Charge of Memorial". The Oregonian. Portland: Henry Pittock. January 8, 1902. p. 8. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  9. "For Oregon Boys: Practical Start for the Soldiers' Monument". The Oregonian. Portland: Henry Pittock. February 11, 1902. p. 1. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  10. Wright had constructed the fountain and pedestal of The Elk.
  11. "Critics Are Hasty: Lowest Bidder Got Soldiers' Monument Contract". The Oregonian. Portland: Henry Pittock. November 3, 1903. p. 11. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  12. "Main Shaft of Oregon Volunteers' Monument Is Now in Place". The Oregonian. Portland: Henry Pittock. April 9, 1906. p. 8. Retrieved February 26, 2015.
  13. https://pamplinmedia.com/pt/451502-368037-graffiti-removed-from-war-memorial-after-portland-protest
External image
Spanish–American War Memorial (Portland, Oregon), University of Oregon Libraries
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