Subject | Abraham Lincoln |
Artist | George Fite Waters |
Materials | Bronze, Granite |
Installation Date | 1927 |
Acquisition Context | Presented to the city by Dr. Henry Waldo Coe |
Where was it originally located? | South Park Blocks |
Was there engagement when it was created? | No |
What happened to it? | The monument was toppled October 11, 2020. It is currently in storage in need of repair. |
Representative feedback from public comments, testimony and City-led public conversations | “As for the statue of Lincoln, I do believe it is inappropriate to remove this work which arguably commemorates one of America's greatest leaders and who is perhaps associated with "racial injustice" and "social change" on a scale that dwarfs any other figure in American history. Lincoln singularly represents the greatest upheaval in America's history and led the nation to reimagine and reinvent itself. Yet, perhaps the presence of Lincoln should be re-contextualized beside another historic American figure which both compliments and challenges everything Lincoln represents. I recommend a new commission of a monument of Sacajawea (the Agai-Dika, Lemhi-Shoshone woman who was crucial to the success of the Lewis and Clark Expedition), an Indigenous woman significant to the nation but also the region of the Northwest.” “Abraham Lincoln had a huge role in ending slavery and moving this country forward in addressing racial injustices. Lincoln was by no means perfect, but it is wrong to dismiss him as not measuring up to current equity standards, ignoring historic context and his many dimensions. This is an arrogance of hindsight. I am a person of color and am committed to racial equity, but I am ashamed of RACC's decision to not return the Lincoln and Roosevelt statues to their historic locations, especially without clear opportunities for public input. This is Abraham Lincoln for God's sake, not some Confederate general. Please do work toward adding to the histories and heritages that are celebrated in our public art (we certainly need much more acknowledgement of our first peoples), but this doesn't mean we need to remove statues of people who are such important parts of our history, such as Lincoln.” |
Status | Will return to its original location in the South Park Blocks, pending restoration, repair, and the addition of new interpretive signage. Additional public engagement on interpretations will occur during the 2024 Monuments Symposium. |