You’re looking for a triangular traffic island on your left, with a wide, open stairway leading up to a dignified stone structure featuring ornate bronze lanterns and two mysterious faces with rams’ horns - that’s the David Campbell Memorial!
Right here, where traffic whizzes around this odd little wedge of land, the city decided to honor one of its bravest - Chief David Campbell. He was a true Portland original, leading the Fire Department from 1893 all the way until 1911, when he lost his life while battling a raging inferno at the Union Oil distribution plant. Picture it: sirens blaring, the thick smell of smoke in the air, firefighters shouting to each other over the roar of the flames - totally not your average Monday afternoon.
When Campbell was lost in the line of duty, Portlanders were heartbroken. They wanted - no, needed - a way to remember him. So, in 1927, Pennsylvania architect Paul Philippe Cret designed this very memorial, which was dedicated the next year. And it’s not just for Campbell. All around you, plaques in the stone honor every Portland firefighter who gave up everything in the name of duty. It’s almost like this little park is where the city’s heart beats a bit louder.
Look closely at the two odd faces staring out from the limestone pedestals - part human, part ram. Maybe they’re saying, “Protect this place!” Or maybe they just got tired of being regular lions. Up top, the bronze lanterns came from a Pennsylvania company called Smyser-Royer. Apparently, even memorials need a little interstate shopping trip now and then.
At the memorial’s south tip, beside the pool and fountain, is a powerful bronze portrait of Chief Campbell, helmet in his hand, an unspoken story on his face. The inscription reads: “Greater love hath no man than this.” As you stand here, in this quiet island amid racing cars and street noise, remember that in 2010, the David Campbell Memorial was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sadly, some plaques were stolen in 2023, but efforts to restore this site continue - because Portland never forgets its heroes, or its quirks.
