111. Statue of John Wesley Powell

Green River, Wyoming

September 25, 2010

This statue sitting on the lawn of the heritage museum in Green River was made in 2003 by David Alan Clarke, a sculptor who grew up in Green River. It is of John Wesley Powell, geologist, and explorer of the American West. Perhaps best know for the 1869 Powell Geographic Expedition, a three month trip down the Green and Colorado rivers. This expedition included the first passage of European Americans through the Grand Canyon. He lost his right arm in the U.S Civil War at the Battle of Shiloh. It was from Green River, Wyoming that on May 24, 1869 Powell and set out on this expedition to explore of this last unexplored region in continental United States. Green River was chosen as the starting point because it was here that the river and the transcontinental railroad met. It was the newly completed Union Pacific Railroad that brought boats and supplies to the launch site.