Statue will stand still for now
By Terry Murry on Friday, July 15th, 2022 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – The Walla Walla City Council voted 5-2 Wednesday to leave the Marcus Whitman statue where it currently stands downtown so that further study can continue. The vote came after council members were asked to consider a recommendation from the city’s art commission to relocate the city-owned statue.
Some council members raised concerns that there have not been sufficient discussions with Whitman College, who owns the property where the statue stands at the intersection of East Main Street, North Palouse Street and Boyer Avenue. Concerns were also raised that formal discussions have also not been conducted with the board of directors at Fort Walla Walla Museum, the proposed new site.
In October 2021, a deaccession application or request to remove the statue was submitted to the city by Emily Tillotson, a Walla Walla University professor. In May, the Walla Walla Arts Commission met and voted unanimously to recommend the Marcus Whitman statue be removed from its current location.
Now that the Walla Walla City Council has voted to continue the matter, additional public input is invited and will be considered. When final action will be taken has not yet been announced.
