The Oregon trailblazer who's only remembered by two statues - give this fella

Dr. John McLoughlin, fondly referred to as the 'father of Oregon', was a British-born American fur trader and diplomat with a mighty impact. He held the post of the first governor of the Oregon Country from 1821 to 1836, overseeing a vast region encompassing parts of current-day Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming. However, his story remains largely untold and he is not remembered by many today. Instead, two statues stand in his honor – one in the Oregon State Capitol grounds in Salem, Oregon, and another in the National Statuary Hall in Washington, D.C.

This fella paved the way in the fur trade, playing a crucial role in the establishment of the Oregon Trail, a key migration route for settlers moving westward. His influence extended beyond the fur trade, as he served as a diplomat between the American Fur Company, the Hudson’s Bay Company, and the Native American tribes. He was fluent in several Native American languages and was held in high esteem by the tribes he worked with. The statue in Oregon was crafted by sculptor Alexander Phimister Proctor from 1950 to 1953.

Proctor's son and associate, Gifford MacGregor Proctor, finished the statue after his father's passing in 1950. The statue in Oregon towers at approximately 82 inches tall, and the statue in Washington, D.C, is part of the National Statuary Hall Collection, making it a duplicate of the one in Oregon. The statue in Oregon was primarily funded by legislative appropriation and contributions from Oregon school children, with the dedication taking place in 1953.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons