Talk:Thompson Elk Fountain

Sources

• http://books.google.com/books?id=NbcBSYzU0gcC&pg=PA11&lpg=PA11&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false
• http://books.google.com/books?id=DtdX1Nok1BwC&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false
• http://books.google.com/books?id=6K9ycbEQLDwC&pg=PA19&lpg=PA19&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false
• http://books.google.com/books?id=yXOHEIWr7b4C&pg=PA231&lpg=PA231&dq#v=onepage&q&f=false
• http://www.emporis.com/building/elkfountain-portland-or-usa
• http://oregondigital.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/archpnw&CISOPTR=9977&CISOBOX=1&REC=6
• http://www.kgw.com/news/Elk-sculpture-cracks-found-in-post-Occupy-inspection-136823618.html
• http://www.kptv.com/story/16462860/100-year-old-elk-statue-in-downtown-to-be-repaired
• http://portlandtribune.com/pt/9-news/17962-did-occupy-protesters-damage-elk-statue??tmpl=component&print=1&page=
• http://culturaloregon.com/fountains-of-portland-walking-tour/

--Another Believer _(Talk) 21:36, 28 June 2014 (UTC)

• http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/experts-critique-portlands-most-famous-public-art/Content?oid=17134890 ---Another Believer _(Talk) 01:27, 12 December 2015 (UTC)

• http://proxy.multcolib.org:2084/resources/doc/nb/image/v2%3A11A73E5827618330%40EANX-NB-12E897AD2AA08F62%402438946-12E69DFB8620C453%4013-12E8AB041A51EA40%40?p=AMNEWS ---Another Believer _(Talk) 17:45, 30 September 2017 (UTC)

Source

• https://www.oregonlive.com/trending/2017/02/a_disappearing_president_the_r.html

---Another Believer _(Talk) 15:56, 14 September 2019 (UTC)

Not burned down in 2020?

According to this report the sculpture has suffered little damage (so far) in 2020? JezGrove (talk) 20:45, 2 July 2020 (UTC)

JezGrove, Thanks for the update. Unfortunately, the statue and fountain have been removed. ---Another Believer _(Talk) 01:47, 21 July 2020 (UTC)

Expansion

@Cedar777: Thanks for your work on this page! I'd love to see this promoted to Good status and hope this might be your ultimate goal (?) I took a few pics of the vandalized statue as well as the fountain without the statue. I will try to upload those very soon, and I also plan to take images of the removed fountain site as well. Thanks again! ---Another Believer _(Talk) 21:46, 23 July 2020 (UTC)

• 
• 
• 
• 

@Another Believer: Excellent work with the great photos! These really help clarify where the visible damage is on the granite fountain. Very sad to see the damage but hopefully they can conserve the remainder, reinstall most of it, and replace or refinish the stones with the spalling that were directly above the fires. RACC will likely keep the public notified as there are likely many in the community who are asking where it went and when it might return. All the Best, Cedar777 (talk) 04:51, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

Cedar777, I'll try to take pics of the removed fountain today. ---Another Believer _(Talk) 16:13, 25 July 2020 (UTC)

I took these two today, which show the fountain removed as well:

• 
• 

---Another Believer _(Talk) 01:09, 26 July 2020 (UTC)

BLM memorial

• https://www.koin.com/news/protests/blm-memorial-rests-where-portlands-elk-statue-once-stood-protests-george-floyd-breonna-taylor/
• https://katu.com/news/local/flowers-signs-added-to-where-portlands-elk-statue-once-stood

---Another Believer _(Talk) 19:06, 11 August 2020 (UTC)

"Reckless burning"

• https://www.kptv.com/news/police-detain-12-year-old-boy-for-reckless-burning-at-former-elk-statue-site-in/article_12f0332a-c566-11ea-b38a-ab01795fd3e4.html

---Another Believer _(Talk) 19:06, 11 August 2020 (UTC)

August 11, 2020 images

I took these yesterday, which show the BLM memorial erected once the elk statue was removed:

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

---Another Believer _(Talk) 22:14, 12 August 2020 (UTC)

Nice work with these photos! It keeps changing. Looks like this new temporary Elk is welded steel? Cheers, Cedar777 (talk) 03:24, 13 August 2020 (UTC)

Cedar777, I'm hoping sourcing will allow us to update the article with details about the temporary statue and memorial. I think I saw on the news there was a pink inflatable animal here as a replacement at one point, too. ---Another Believer _(Talk) 03:58, 13 August 2020 (UTC)

Secret storage location

• https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2020/08/beloved-portland-elk-statue-is-safely-in-storage-while-debate-continues-over-why-it-had-to-be-relocated.html

---Another Believer _(Talk) 21:16, 27 August 2020 (UTC)

Another recent helpful source

• https://www.wweek.com/arts/2020/08/25/portland-architecture-blog-visits-the-elk-statue-in-storage-confirms-it-wasnt-actually-destroyed-by-protesters/

---Another Believer _(Talk) 14:33, 28 August 2020 (UTC)

"Nightmare Elk"

• https://www.orartswatch.org/the-lens-is-cracked-art-and-protest-in-the-summer-of-2020/

---Another Believer _(Talk) 13:12, 31 August 2020 (UTC)

• https://www.wweek.com/news/2020/10/10/members-of-patriot-prayer-stole-an-elk-statue-erected-by-anti-fascist-protesters-in-downtown-portland/

Nightmare Elk stolen by member of Patriot Prayer. ---Cedar777 (talk) 01:40, 17 October 2020 (UTC)

@Cedar777 I've just created an entry for the Nightmare Elk. I've not yet added info about the replacement statue or subsequent reappearance at a Trump rally, but there are some additional sources on the article's talk page. ---Another Believer _(Talk) 04:53, 26 September 2021 (UTC)

Source

• https://www.opb.org/article/2020/12/28/portland-oregon-statues-protest-black-lives-matter-elk/

---Another Believer _(Talk) 20:11, 28 December 2020 (UTC)

Another source

• https://www.oregonlive.com/living/2021/03/portland-disappearing-architecture-the-fascinating-history-of-the-iconic-elk-statue-block-216-food-carts-ladds-mansion-and-the-abandoned-centennial-mills.html

---Another Believer _(Talk) 20:45, 8 March 2021 (UTC)

Update

• https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2021/09/portlands-beloved-elusive-elk-statue-wont-come-out-of-hiding-any-time-soon.html

---Another Believer _(Talk) 16:12, 25 September 2021 (UTC)

Statue to return "by early 2023"

• https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2022/02/portlands-beloved-elk-statue-will-return-to-downtown-sw-main-street-by-early-2023.html

---Another Believer _(Talk) 03:06, 16 February 2022 (UTC)

Update

• https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2022/04/after-blowback-portland-leaders-rethink-plans-for-iconic-elk-statue.html

---Another Believer _(Talk) 16:32, 1 April 2022 (UTC)

• https://www.opb.org/article/2022/05/06/portland-beloved-elk-statue-fountain-return-downtown/

---Another Believer _(Talk) 22:52, 6 May 2022 (UTC)

Another source

• https://www.opb.org/article/2022/10/06/downtown-portland-thompson-elk-statue-return/

---Another Believer _(Talk) 17:33, 6 October 2022 (UTC)

And a new one with more detail about the restoration work and the timeline (now 2024): https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/portland-thompson-elk-fountain-statue-back-2024-restoration/283-756b5866-5106-46f1-964c-5be0d2a32b4c – Jonesey95 (talk) 12:37, 7 August 2023 (UTC)

OPB update

• https://www.opb.org/article/2025/12/17/portland-elk-statue-return-2026/

--Another Believer _(Talk) 02:11, 18 December 2025 (UTC)

Clarification regarding motive

l find it odd that the statue was vandalised so often, and ultimately removed at the urging of civil rights activists, and the article doesn't include any explanation of why anyone found it offensive, beyond the suggestion that it doesn't accurately depict any species native to the area. Someone, somewhere in a legitimate publication must have at least speculated as to what the motive might be for so much popular ire. Trilobright (talk) 17:14, 12 January 2026 (UTC)

Update, comic book

• https://www.opb.org/article/2026/04/02/portland-oregon-elk-statue-history-thompson-main-street/

--Another Believer _(Talk) 18:31, 2 April 2026 (UTC)

Damaged

• https://www.koin.com/news/portland/street-closes-after-thompson-elk-fountain-damaged-in-truck-crash/

--Another Believer _(Talk) 20:07, 5 May 2026 (UTC)

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2026/06/portlands-famous-elk-statue-dinged-by-truck-to-get-repairs.html --Another Believer _(Talk) 23:05, 18 June 2026 (UTC)

https://katu.com/news/local/crews-close-area-around-iconic-elk-statue-in-portland-to-repair-damage-to-fountain-base-thompson-main-third-fourth-street-avenue-city-trimet-closure-repairs --Another Believer _(Talk) 23:33, 22 June 2026 (UTC)

reference

• https://www.tcj.com/reviews/the-peoples-elk-the-untold-history-of-portlands-thompson-elk-statue/

--Another Believer _(Talk) 20:51, 9 June 2026 (UTC)

https://www.pdxmonthly.com/news-and-city-life/2026/08/thompson-elk-statue-1900 --Another Believer _(Talk) 16:29, 12 August 2026 (UTC)