Clark's Tree is a bronze memorial sculpture in Long Beach, Washington commemorating Lewis and Clark's journey across North America. It sits on a dune above the Pacific Ocean beach at Breakers near where Clark carved a message on a living tree to establish United States precedence of discovery and occupation in what was then the Oregon Country. The memorial was created by Stanley Wanlass, a sculptor educated at Brigham Young University.[1] The sculpture marks the westernmost and northernmost point of Lewis and Clark's journey on the Pacific coast.[2][3]
The sculpture was built in Clarkston, then barged down the Columbia River in 2003 with stops for public viewing in Richland, Hood River, Portland and Vancouver,[4] then into the Pacific Ocean to reach Long Beach. In the process the sculpture was nearly lost at sea, according to Wanlass.[2]
Another marker with the same name was constructed in 1932 at 3rd and Pacific in Long Beach's downtown area.[5]
References
^Richard G. Oman, "Sculpting an LDS Tradition", churchofjesuschrist.org, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints