McKinley statue
Encyclopedia
The McKinley statue for the purposes of this article refers to one of various statue
s of President of the United States
William McKinley
, specifically the bronze
statue in Arcata, California
.
This statue of McKinley was commissioned by 81-year-old George Zehndner in 1905. Zehndner had met McKinley in 1901 and was much impressed by "the first modern president." The president's assassination
soon after moved Zehndner to memorialize the president. Zehndner paid $15,000 for the nine-foot statue.
The statue was sculpted by Haig Patigian
in San Francisco
, California
. The statue's unveiling was postponed due to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
and fire. The artist discovered his statue lying down in a foundry
near the waterfront south of Market Street
in San Francisco. It had been knocked down by the quake, but a large plaster model had braced its fall. Patigian feared his statue might melt, but he had to leave it as the statue was too large for him to move. A week later, the foundry owner told Patigian that the statue had been destroyed.
Patigian later discovered that his statue of McKinley had been saved from the burning foundry by the employee of a nearby machine shop, along with several passersby. They had hauled the statue onto a truck
, which succumbed to the flames. The statue was moved by steamboat to the nearby port town of Eureka
in May, 1906. Zehndner presented the statue to the city of Arcata
on July 4, 1906, as "a gift to the city of Arcata for all time to come." Two thousand people, more visitors than the town had ever received, came to Arcata for the unveiling.
The statue, located in the middle of the Arcata Plaza, is in the center of the town's cultural activity. The statue has been embroiled in controversy in Arcata, a liberal college town in Humboldt County, California
, since the 1970s. Opponents of the statue decry McKinley's racist and imperialistic policies, while defenders support the statue's historical importance and characterize removal attempts as censorship
.
Statue
A statue is a sculpture in the round representing a person or persons, an animal, an idea or an event, normally full-length, as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size, or larger...
s of President of the United States
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
, specifically the bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
statue in Arcata, California
Arcata, California
-Demographics:-2010 Census data:The 2010 United States Census reported that Arcata had a population of 17,231. The population density was 1,567.4 people per square mile...
.
This statue of McKinley was commissioned by 81-year-old George Zehndner in 1905. Zehndner had met McKinley in 1901 and was much impressed by "the first modern president." The president's assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
soon after moved Zehndner to memorialize the president. Zehndner paid $15,000 for the nine-foot statue.
The statue was sculpted by Haig Patigian
Haig Patigian
Haig Patigian was an Armenian-American sculptor born on January 22, 1876 in the city of Van, Armenia, in the Ottoman Empire and died on September 19, 1950 in San Francisco, California. His parents were teachers at the American Mission School in Armenia...
in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The statue's unveiling was postponed due to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude of 7.9; however, other...
and fire. The artist discovered his statue lying down in a foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
near the waterfront south of Market Street
Market Street (San Francisco)
Market Street is an important thoroughfare in San Francisco, California. It begins at The Embarcadero in front of the Ferry Building at the northeastern edge of the city and runs southwest through downtown, passing the Civic Center and the Castro District, to the intersection with Corbett Avenue in...
in San Francisco. It had been knocked down by the quake, but a large plaster model had braced its fall. Patigian feared his statue might melt, but he had to leave it as the statue was too large for him to move. A week later, the foundry owner told Patigian that the statue had been destroyed.
Patigian later discovered that his statue of McKinley had been saved from the burning foundry by the employee of a nearby machine shop, along with several passersby. They had hauled the statue onto a truck
Truck
A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, with the smallest being mechanically similar to an automobile...
, which succumbed to the flames. The statue was moved by steamboat to the nearby port town of Eureka
Eureka, California
Eureka is the principal city and the county seat of Humboldt County, California, United States. Its population was 27,191 at the 2010 census, up from 26,128 at the 2000 census....
in May, 1906. Zehndner presented the statue to the city of Arcata
Arcata, California
-Demographics:-2010 Census data:The 2010 United States Census reported that Arcata had a population of 17,231. The population density was 1,567.4 people per square mile...
on July 4, 1906, as "a gift to the city of Arcata for all time to come." Two thousand people, more visitors than the town had ever received, came to Arcata for the unveiling.
The statue, located in the middle of the Arcata Plaza, is in the center of the town's cultural activity. The statue has been embroiled in controversy in Arcata, a liberal college town in Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County, California
Humboldt County is a county in the U.S. state of California, located on the far North Coast 200 miles north of San Francisco. According to 2010 Census Data, the county’s population was 134,623...
, since the 1970s. Opponents of the statue decry McKinley's racist and imperialistic policies, while defenders support the statue's historical importance and characterize removal attempts as censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
.