Sam Hill Monument

Oregon State Archives: A 1940 Journey Across Oregon

The SAMUEL HILL MONUMENT, 168.5 m. [West of Hwy. 730 Junction] is a 50 ton granite boulder dedicated to the man who was chiefly responsible for building the Columbia River Highway.

"A large rock, located at the park entrance, is a memorial to Samuel Hill, the CRH’s visionary. It was dedicated on 13 May 1932."

"...the Forum placed a large stone marker at the entrance to the park as a tribute to Hill and those who built the highway."

Robert W. Hadlow, Columbia River Highway Historic District, National Historic Landmark Nomination

CO3. Object: Samuel Hill Memorial

Location: HMP 22.0

Date: 1932

Designer: John G. Edwards

Builder Alonzo Lewis, bas-relief sculptor

Owner: Oregon Parks and Recreation Department

In 1930, this 50-ton basalt boulder was moved from the Rocky Butte Quarry, in east Portland, to its present site, at the CRH’s intersection with the driveway leading to the Portland Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint, as a memorial for Samuel Hill. Seattle sculptor Alonzo Victor Lewis designed several bronze bas-reliefs for the rock, including three panels measuring 24" x 36" that depict Gorge history (aboriginal life, Lewis and Clark meeting the Indians along the Columbia, and transportation along the river before the CRH). Alonzo Victor Lewis also designed a round relief bust of Samuel Hill, along with a dedicatory plaque. The boulder was placed on a platform consisting of three basalt steps. Sixteen stone posts, each weighing one ton, were placed around the rock in a circle 45 feet in diameter. Hand-made wrought-iron chains connect the bollards. Four openings provide entrances to the enclosure.

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