Damen Avenue Bridge Marquette Monument
Subject: Damen Avenue Bridge (James) Marquette Monument
Series: Native Chicago
Location: Chicago (Heart of Chicago), IL.
Address: 2608 S. Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60608 (map)
Date: 10/10/2023
Camera: Canon S110
Plaque Inscription
“James Marquette. French Priest of the Society of Jesus on his mission to the Illinois Indians, spent here the winter of 1674-1675. His journal first brought to the World’s attention the advantages of soil, climate, and transportation facilities in the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes Basin.
Erected by the City of Chicago – William Hale Thompson, Mayor”
History
Note: Non-Native description.
“Standing apart from its harsh industrial surroundings, this sleekly linear and poetic relief sculpture of French explorer Pere Jacques Marquette (1673-1675) meeting an American Indian, was originally integrated into a bridge structure that has been replaced by a strictly utilitarian super bridge that is all road and no bridge.
The bronze plaque with art deco ornamental flourishes, was executed by E.P. Seidel, based on a sketch by Thomas A. O’Shaughnessy, the gifted designer of many stained glass windows for Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The inscription reads: “James Marquette, French priest of the Society of Jesus, on his mission to the Illinois Indians, spent here the winter of 1674-1675. His journal first brought to the world’s attention the advantages of soil, climate and transportation facilities in the Mississippi Valley and the Great Lakes basin. – Erected by the City of Chicago – William Hale Thompson, Mayor – Michael J. Faherty, Pres. Board of Local Improvements – Anno Domini MCMXXX.””
– Chicago Monuments Project, Damen Avenue Bridge Marquette Monument
Links
Wikipedia, Jacques Marquette
Photographs
Native Chicago
Native Chicago is a series of artworks by Ihanktonwan Dakota artist David Bernie that discusses the relationship Native American and First Nations communities have with the city of Chicago.
Creative Commons License
This work by David Bernie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. You may download, share, and post the images under the condition that the works are attributed to the artist.
