THE CHEMAWA AMERICAN
H. L WADSWORTH, Superintendent
VOLUME 15
FEBRUARY, 1913
NUMBER 5
AN AMERICAN SPHINX
W O N D E R F U L ST A T U E OF A N IN D IA N
O T long ago th ere appeared in the O regonian an article
from the pen of R obert H . M oulton th a t is of u n
usual interest and appears to us to be of great h isto r
ical value. W e are pleased to rep rin t it, as follows:
H as A m erica created a sphinx?
A great concrete statu e cem ented into the solid
rock on the banks of th e Rock R iver, near O regon,
111., has been built by Lorado T aft w ith every care th a t m odern en g in
eering can tak e to m ake it as p erm anent as th e pyram ids and other
famous landm arks of th e ages. By his m ethod of ap p ly in g th e co n
crete, and w ith a scientific care never know n to art, M r. T aft bids fair
to accom plish his purpose.
T he statue, built to com m em orate th e A m erican Indian, represents
Black H aw k, chief of the Sacs and Foxes, stan d in g w ith folded arm s
overlooking his form er dom inion, the picturesque valley of the Rock
River. It is of noble proportions, being 50 feet in height, and stands
on the top of a bluff, 250 feet above the sw irling w aters of th e river.
T he claim of the statu e to fame lies in th ree things: F irst, anyone
who ru n s even anyone w ho autos— may read its messages. Those
who are ru sh in g by in autos and steam cars and m otor boats stop, or
turn to look as long as they can and fall into a reverie over th e form er
occupancy by the red men of the places they are now in. T he s ta tu e ’s
great size places it on a scale w ith the Goddess of L iberty, in New
Y ork H arbor, and the great statu e of “ T h e P ilg rim ” on the New E n g
land coast.
T he th ird and greatest claim to fame is th a t it is built to be p erm an
en t. A nd it is believed th a t it will o u tlast th e sp h in x , the pyram ids,
and even the stones of the D ruids.
It is u tilitarian concrete w hich has unlocked the door to a feature
w hich it is hoped will m ake th e statu e of Black H aw k overtake the
sp h in x in age by en d u rin g after tim e has effaced th at grim figure.
So far concrete has not been applied to the art of real sculpture in