The ''Spanish–American War Soldier's Monument'', also known as the ''Spanish–American War Memorial'' or simply ''Soldiers Monument'', is an outdoor sculpture and

war memorial A war memorial is a building, monument, statue, or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or (predominating in modern times) to commemorate those who died or were injured in a war. Symbolism Historical usage It has ...

monument honoring the dead of the 2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment of the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

and

Philippine–American War The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, emerged following the conclusion of the Spanish–American War in December 1898 when the United States annexed th ...

. The monument was created by American artist Douglas Tilden and located in Lownsdale Square, in the Plaza Blocks of downtown

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

. 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 The Regional Arts & Culture Council (RACC) is an organization that administers arts grants in Multnomah, Washington, and Clackamas Counties that also do advocacy in the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon, United States. It evolved from the city� ...

Description

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

. It features two

Howitzer The howitzer () is an artillery weapon that falls between a cannon (or field gun) and a mortar. It is capable of both low angle fire like a field gun and high angle fire like a mortar, given the distinction between low and high angle fire break ...

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 Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

. There is also a bronze plaque which reads: "Howitzers fired in the defense of Fort Sumpter 1861".

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. 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. 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. A $5,000 contract was awarded for the statue. The weight of the pedestal was , and when topped by the statue the height was about .

References

External links

*
A Guide to Portland Public Art
(PDF), pg. 3, Regional Arts & Culture Council
Oregon: End of the Trail
pg. 128, Workers of the Writers' Program of the Works Progress Administration in the State of Oregon

by Mike Francis (April 12, 2011), ''The Oregonian'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Spanish-American War Soldier's Monument 1906 establishments in Oregon 1906 sculptures Bronze sculptures in Portland, Oregon Granite sculptures in Oregon Marble sculptures in Oregon Monuments and memorials in Portland, Oregon Outdoor sculptures in Southwest Portland, Oregon Plaza Blocks Sculptures by American artists Sculptures of men in Oregon Spanish–American War memorials in the United States Statues in Portland, Oregon Vandalized works of art in Portland, Oregon Stone sculptures in Portland, Oregon Statues of men in the United States

Description

History

See also

References

External links