Lewiston, Idaho Area Public Art
The confluence of the Clearwater and Snake Rivers was an important geographic point passed by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in the fall of 1805. The Snake appeared on William Clark’s resulting map as Lewis’s River. The native Nez Perce called the Snake Kimooenim, meaning “the stream/place of the hemp weed,” and they termed the stretch upstream from the confluence with the Clearwater River, Pikúunen. The Clearwater was referred to as Koos-Koos-Kia, meaning “clear water,” and they called the confluence itself Tsceminicum, or “meeting of the waters.” French fur traders later gave the main waterway the name “Snake” when they misinterpreted native hand motions meaning “fish” as “snake.”
Today, the sister cities of Lewiston, Idaho and Clarkston, Washington face each other across the Pikúunen section of the river. Lewiston is the more prominent of the two, boasting a population over four times larger than its neighbor, serving as the one-time territorial capital of Idaho, the present-day county seat of Nez Perce County, and offering the most inland seagoing commercial port in the Columbia Basin.
Lewiston is also the home of several works of public art pertaining to Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery, while Clarkston boasts a couple as well. This Inspiration Trip offers a tour of those works in the area. Lewiston boasts a vibrant artistic community and many other, non-Expedition works of art adorn the streetscape as well.
Located on 5th Street in Pioneer Park, the original Sacagawea Fountain was unveiled in 1911 after fundraising by a group of 27 women forming the Tsceminicum Club. The four coyotes represented in the basin eventually deteriorated, and plumbing problems caused the water to be shut off in 1960. A bronze replica of the original fountain’s concrete statue and bronze coyotes was created by J. Shirly Bothum and was installed in 1990. The original Sacajawea sculpture now resides in the Nez Perce County Historical Society Museum.
Take 5th Street south and continue straight into the parking area for Lewis-Clark State College. On the far end of the west side is Sacagawea Hall and in front of its entrance stands a statue of the young Lemhi Shoshone woman. Entitled "Arduous Journey," artist Carol Grende created three very similar versions: located here in Lewiston; in front of the federal courthouse in Great Falls, Montana; and by the train station in Dayton, Washington. The sculpture depicts Sacagawea and her 4-month-old baby, Jean Baptiste, or Pomp, climbing a hill near the Great Falls of the Missouri in 1805.
In the artist's words, the statue of Sacajawea “exemplifies the feelings that were stirred within my soul: I have seen her in my mind’s eye, a woman of great strength and perseverance. In her face a great determination. Sacajawea is truly a culmination of my career and represents the perseverance we all must have to proceed on in times of trouble.”
Carol Grende also created the "When They Shook Hands, the Lewis and Clark Expedition Began" sculpture that stands in front of the Falls of the Ohio State Park center in Clarksville, Indiana. She passed away in 2009.
Another Lewis & Clark Expedition sculpture stands nearby on the grounds of Lewis-Clark State College. From the parking lot where vehicles turn back to the north, take the walkway that heads east along the southern end of the library and turn right onto the sidewalk. Walk past Meriwether Lewis Hall and then Thomas Jefferson Hall on your right.
Ahead, across an intersecting walkway, scattered among the greenery, can be found the several features of the "Hospitality of the Nez Perce" sculpture by the Nez Perce artist Douglas Hyde. Lewis in his tri-corner hat points along with the Nez Perce chief Walamottinin or Twisted Hair, while Clark in his fur cap looks on. Other figures complete the scene at various distances away.
The sculpture was installed in 1993 as part of the Centennial of Lewis-Clark State College, and a second version was unveiled on the grounds of the Borah Post Office, across from the state capitol in Boise, on September 12, 2006.
Back in your vehicle, reverse back north out of the parking lot, turn right onto 7th Ave., right onto 8th St., and left onto 11st Ave. Turn left onto 21st St. and after 8th Ave., turn right into the lot for the McDonald's and the Hells Canyon Grand Hotel and park on the western side. Do not attempt to park right at the sculptures nearby. On foot and without crossing 21st St., walk down the hill toward the river to the art work at the major intersection below.
J. Shirly Bothum created these bronze sculptures, which depict Lewis, Clark, and Sacagawea on their westward journey after emerging from the Bitterroot Mountains. In January 2003, while installing the Sacagawea statue, Bothum was stricken with a fatal heart attack. His friends completed installation of the Lewis and Clark statues and they were unveiled on Earth Day, April 22, 2003.
Drive west into downtown Lewiston on Main St. at the bottom of the hill. A sculpture by Don Joslyn entitled "Indian Summer" depicting a Nez Perce brave on a horse may be seen at the Nez Perce County Courthouse on the left past 13th St. Stay on Main St., veer right onto the one-way D St., turn left onto 1st St., and take US 12 West to cross the bridge into Clarkston, Washington. Turn right onto 5th St. and stay with it as it curves left and becomes Port Dr. heading due west. Turn right onto 9th St., pass Riverfront Brewing Co. on your left, turn right onto Port Way and take an immediate left into the parking lot for Granite Lake Park. Follow the path to the right of the bathrooms.
Three metal cutouts and various interpretive panels concerning the Expedition stand there. A small monument, placed by the Washington State Society Daughters of the American Revolution on September 9, 1999, and views of the river are also available. Note also the "Pointy Man" imagery on the waste can receptacles near the restroom doors.
Turn right out of the parking lot onto Port Way heading west. Turn left onto 13th St. and take the first right onto Port Dr. Proceed under the WA 128 bridge straight onto Industrial and Recreational Road. After curving to the left and just past the building ahead on the right, turn right into the parking lot for the Hells Canyon Resort Marina. To your right along the water is a sidewalk with several colorful Lewis and Clark Expedition images stamped into the concrete. Take a few moments to view this unique display.
Turn right out of the parking lot to resume traveling on Industrial and Recreational Road heading in the same direction as before. Turn right onto WA 128 and then left onto Bridge St. (US 12) East to go across the bridge into Lewiston.
Two works of art may be glanced from your vehicle before the next stop. If you desire a closer look at them, please find a safe, designated parking space first and exercise extreme caution in getting near them on foot.
As you cross the bridge in your vehicle back into Idaho, look to the left to see "Canoe Wave," a waveform sculpture created by Christopher Fennell as a bicentennial tribute to the Lewis and Clark Expedition. More than 50 canoes welded together form a sculpture 64 feet long and 24 feet high. Two waterlily-shaped fountains made of canoes extend the work into a nearby pond.
As you enter Idaho and veer left, look to your right to view "The Story Teller," a sculptural interpretation of the moment when two cultures met during the Lewis and Clark Expedition.
Quickly get into the left lane, turn left onto 3rd St., and as you approach Capital St., see the Nez Perce County Historical Society ahead on the right, which contains some Lewis & Clark interpretation inside and out. Turn left onto Capital St., left onto 1st St. and you will see a Tsceminicum Historical Marker to the west. Turn right onto D Street, pass one building, and take a right into the parking lot just past the trees up ahead. Park near the restrooms and take the walking path to the Corps of Engineers Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center at the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers. An outdoor facility there contains interpretive panels and a monument to the Expedition's October 10, 1805 campsite. The highlight is the grand Tsceminicum sculpture by Idaho artist Nancy Dreher completed in 1979, which interprets Nez Perce mythology with a symbolic Earth Mother figure whose body sustains all forms of life, and from whose hands the rivers run.
Turn right out of the parking lot onto D Street and right onto US 12 East to take the Levee Bypass. Just past the railroad bridge is a turnout on the left that contains two interpretive markers. Resume and proceed into downtown Lewiston.
If you have the time and desire to venture a few miles east of Lewiston, continue on US 12 East and after crossing the Clearwater River bridge, look to your left to see steel silhouettes of horses and Nez Perce and Lewis & Clark Expedition scenes as part of the North Lewiston Gateway Project created by artists David Govedare and Keith Powell in 2003. Parking is again problematic and potentially hazardous to yourself and others. Stay to the right to remain on US 12 and South US 95, and after several miles, take US 95 south to cross the river again. About a mile ahead on the left is the entrance to the Nez Perce National Historic Park Visitor Center. An ancient dugout canoe, a small selection of books for purchase, an excellent museum primarily featuring native clothing, and a movie await visitors indoors, while great views of the Clearwater valley and a pioneer cemetery reward short walks outside.
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