The Spanish–American War Soldier's Monument in Portland

Nestled in the heart of Portland, Oregon, stands a remarkable sight - a monument featuring two ancient objects of wonder, a pair of howitzer cannons. Collected in 1902 by Henry E. Dosch, these cannons were found buried in sand in Charleston, South Carolina. Dosch received permission from the War Department to bring them to Portland, where they now sit at the base of the Spanish–American War Soldier's Monument, honoring the troops who served in the Spanish–American War and the Philippine–American War.

Created by sculptor Douglas Tilden, the monument was installed in Lownsdale Square in 1906. It features a bronze statue atop a marble pedestal and a granite base. The memorial was designed to honor the fallen of the 2nd Oregon Volunteer Infantry Regiment, and its design was influenced by a monument in honor of the 39th Pennsylvania Infantry at Gettysburg.

The construction of the monument involved a contract for the statue and a contract for the stone. The base, shaft, and cornice were cut from a single piece of Barre Granite in Vermont and shipped to Portland. The weight of the pedestal was 64,000 pounds, and when topped by the statue, the monument reached a height of about 30 feet.

The monument includes a bronze plaque which reads: "Howitzers fired in the defense of Fort Sumpter 1861". These cannons are now part of the City of Portland and Multnomah County Public Art Collection, courtesy of the Regional Arts & Culture Council.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons