Gene and I set a lofty goal to travel and visit all 50 state capitols. We had been to quite a few of them separately, but have seen many together. I am going to share those visits here on my blog every now and then, but I think I would like to start with our 26th capitol and our official start to the second half of our objective. The capitol I am referring to is Salem, Oregon.
We went to Salem while we were in the Portland area for a three day weekend getaway. We left Portland and stayed the night in Salem to be there first thing in the morning to do a tour of the Oregon State Capitol. This capitol also has another significant value for us, as it was the first and only capitol building we’ve been at during their opening service. It was truly inspiring. They had a singer, we all said the Pledge of Allegiance, and they introduced several guests. I was feeling very patriotic, lol. Seriously though, It was a great way to start the second half of our quest.
While we were there we found out that the building was constructed from 1936 to 1938, and expanded in 1977, is the third to house the Oregon state government in Salem. Two former capitol buildings were destroyed by fire, one in 1855 and the other in 1935.The current capitol building is the fourth-newest capitol in the United States. The capitol was dedicated on October 1, 1938, with speeches from President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Leslie M. Scott, Robert W. Sawyer, and Oregon Governor Charles Henry Martin Besides the capitol being incredible, the grounds are also amazing and cover three city blocks. Near the west entrance of the capitol is a replica of Philadelphia’s Liberty Bell.
This bell is one of 53 full-sized replicas made in France and donated by the United States government to each state. On the east side of the building is Capitol Park, which includes a bronze equestrian statue by A. Phimister Proctor called The Circuit Rider, statues of John McLoughlin and Jason Lee by Gifford Proctor, and portions of the Corinthian columns of the second capitol building, Other features on the capitol grounds include Sprague Fountain and the Wall of Water. The Wall of Water is located across Court Street from the main entrance. It was added in 1990, and has 22 nozzles shooting water 12 feet (3.7 m) into the air in a plaza that also has slabs of stone with information about Oregon’s history.
The Oregon State Capitol is really beautiful and definitely worth seeing. We were sad to leave, but had to head back to Portland and catch a plane later that afternoon. It was truly the highlight of our trip and I am thrilled we made the time to drive down and experience it firsthand. For those of you who don’t know, She Flies With Her Own Wings, is the Oregon state motto. It is stated to reflect Oregon’s independent spirit. Here is a link to their webiste with hours and more information.
