In 1959 there was an exposition celebrating Oregon’s centennial in north Portland along the Columbia river in the Kenton neighborhood…”The Oregon Centennial Exposition and Trade Fair”.  The building pictured here, the Forest Products Pavilion,  was designed by John Storrs and was built as a permanent structure, though has since been torn down.  Inside the Pavilion was a giant wooden sculpture (“Monarch of the Forest”) 24 feet high built of wood by Manuel Izquierdo.  Apparently built off-site in four sections, the piece was then assembled inside the building.  After the exposition was over, the piece continued to stand in the pavilion but eventually was burned because caretakers thought it a “nuisance” for local children.  Here is Manuel constructing the piece…

and here is a newspaper clipping (Oregon Journal, April 26, 1960) discussing the fact that piece was missing and thought to be stolen…in fact, it had been burned (even though it had been sold)…

and here is a photo of the Storrs’ building with the “Monarch of the Forest” to the left of center…we’re still looking for good photos of the piece itself …