Here stands a nine foot tall bronze sculpture of a man resting his curled, open hand near a navigational globe. Look at that grinning face! This is Captain George Vancouver, our second monument to the explorer, created in two thousand by local sculptor Jim Demetro.
Since we know the real captain never actually set foot in the city that bears his name, the community decided to take action to make up for his historical absence. A committee rallied thirteen hundred donors to raise seventy thousand dollars for this fifteen hundred pound statue. Then, in a brilliant move to finally bring the captain here, they treated the heavy bronze figure to a ceremonial boat trip down the Columbia River before anchoring him. Talk about going to incredible lengths to build a shared heritage and root your community in history!
Notice Demetro designed the captain with a goofy expression and an empty grip. Locals have adopted the charming tradition of slipping fresh flowers into his open hand.
Sadly, the real captain's life wasn't as cheerful. He once disciplined a disobedient sailor named Thomas Pitt, who happened to be a powerful British aristocrat. For revenge, Pitt publicly beat the ailing Vancouver with a cane in London. Unable to fight against such political power, the broken explorer died in obscurity at age forty.
Now, let us go meet a local who actually walked this ground and fiercely protected her family's stake in it. The Pioneer Mother Memorial is just a three minute walk away.
