Historic Downtown Willamette Meteorite replica, answer to Where is it Wednesday...somewhere in West Linn, Oregon 6/15/11

(Cindy's Blog about Portland Real Estate & Stuff)

Where is it Wednesday...somewhere in West Linn, Oregon

*** Yes, we have a winner! John McCarthy!  John I think I need to make one really hard for you!

Each week I'll be posting a new picture on Wednesday morning. The title of the blog will have the City where the picture is taken and I'll post the answer Wednesday evening...not only here on my blog, but on facebook business page (please click like and add yourself there) as well as tweetin it on my Twitter page as well.

Do you know where it is? Care to guess? Comments are welcome. I'll post the answer tonight.

Hint: No hint..this is an easy one!. Oh..ok, I blogged about this before.

Historic Downtown Willamette Meteorite replica, answer to Where is it Wednesday...somewhere in West Linn, Oregon 6/15/11

Here's a bit of History about the Willamette Meteorite.

Researchers believe that this meteorite originated in Cananda/Montana area and was transported down to rest in the Willamette neighborhood of West Linn through glacial floods dating back to the last ice age.

Weighing over 15.5 tons,it's the largest meteorite ever found in the United States, and the sixth largest meteorite in the world History. History has it that is was discovered in 1902 by local settler Ellis Hughes. It didn't bother him that it was sitting on land that was owned by another as he secretly hauled it (no small job back then) to his property to claim it was his own.

Of course, as it often happens in small towns..you can't hide these things..especially from the owners of the land it was found on..which happened to be the Oregon Iron & Steel Company. What was he thinking? Anyway, after a law suit, the supreme court awarded the Meteorite to its

rightfull owners. In 1905, it was purchased by Mrs. William E. Dodge for $26,000, and donated to the American Museum of Natural History in NY, where it is today.

As with many things in our western history, this meteorite was known and used in ceremonies for years by the Clackamas Tribe and in 1999 Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon a confederation of Native american tribes demanded its return. An agreement was made and the tribes can go and hold their private ceremonies around it once a year. I'm thinking it can't be quite the same...but at least in was an agreement.

Now my picture is indeed a small replica located right outside the Willamette Methodist Church circa 1908 and is on the downtown walking tour of many historic homes in the neighborhood built from 1890-1920

The picture of the actual Meteorite that is currently in the Museum of Natural History taken by User:Dante Alighieri