Oregon Pioneer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Oregon Pioneer |
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The sculpture in 2007
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| Artist | Ulric Ellerhusen |
| Year | 1938 |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Medium | Bronze, gold leaf |
| Dimensions | 6.7 m (22 ft) |
| Location | Salem, Oregon, United States |
| 44°56′18″N 123°01′49″W / 44.938466°N 123.030374°W | |
The Oregon Pioneer statue, sometimes called the Gold Man, is a huge bronze sculpture covered in real gold. It sits on top of the Oregon State Capitol building in Salem, Oregon, United States. This amazing statue was made by Ulric Ellerhusen. It's about 22 ft (7 m) tall and was put on the building in 1938.
Contents
History
Building the Pioneer
The sculptor, Ulric Ellerhusen, built the Oregon Pioneer in New Jersey. He even had a special large door made so he could move the statue outside. This helped him see how it would look in natural sunlight. The statue was finished in 1938.
The previous capitol building had burned down in 1935. So, a new one was being built. The Oregon Pioneer was shipped to Oregon to sit on top of this new building. It traveled all the way through the Panama Canal by ship. Then, it went by train to Salem and finally by truck to the capitol.
Putting it in Place
Putting the heavy statue on top of the building was a big job! It started on September 17, 1938. Workers had to lift the pioneer to the very top. This took several days. They even had to pause briefly to find stronger equipment to lift the heavy statue safely.
Staying Golden
Even though the capitol building was damaged in the 1993 Scotts Mills earthquake, the statue itself was okay. It only shifted a little bit. The Oregon Pioneer statue has been covered with new gold leaf four times to keep it shiny.
- The first time was in 1939.
- Then again in 1958 by Bob Fulton.
- In 1984, John Edwards and Roy Darby did the work.
- The most recent time was in September 2000, by Lee Littlewood, Peter McKearnan, and Nancy Comstock.
The 1984 re-gilding was special. It was paid for by Oregon school children! They had a "penny drive" and raised over $37,000.
Lighting Up the Night
In January 2001, the capitol stopped lighting the pioneer at night. This was to save energy during a power shortage. But in April 2002, something cool happened. Solar panels were put on the building! These panels now power the lights that shine on the statue at night.
These solar panels make about 7.8 kilowatts of power. They were the first solar panels ever put on a state capitol building. The solar array is about 850-square-foot (79 m2) big. It cost $60,000. The panels make twice as much power as needed for the lights. The extra energy is sent to the power grid. This extra power is enough to run about one home for eight months of the year!
Details
The Oregon Pioneer statue sits very high up. It is 140 feet (43 m) above the ground on top of the Capitol's rotunda. You can even reach the base of the statue by climbing a 121-step spiral staircase. This staircase starts on the building's fourth floor.
The pioneer statue is 22 feet (6.7 m) tall. It sits on a 23-foot (7.0 m) tall marble base. The head of the statue is six feet ten inches around! The statue is hollow inside. This bronze artwork weighs 8.5 short tons (7.7 t). It is covered in gold leaf, which is 23K gold. This gold needs to be cleaned and fixed sometimes. This is because dust and bird claws can scratch it.
The pioneer in the statue holds a splitting axe in his right hand. The blade of the axe faces the ground. In his other hand, he holds a tarp. The artist said this means the pioneer was planning to build a shelter. The pioneer also has a beard and looks towards the west while facing north. The capitol offers tours that include trips to the base of the statue.
See also
In Spanish: Oregon Pioneer para niños
