When it comes to bearing the torch of liberty, Portland has two tributes that stand tall.
One replica towers more than 50 ft tall in the back parking lot of a Milwaukie strip mall. The story goes that the owner, who had immigrated from the Middle East, wanted to install it to show solidarity with America in the wake of 9/11. Despite an incident in which the head caught fire — and some bureaucratic pushback — the statue was finally installed, complete with a miniature moat (because she’s on an island) and a plaque that shares a message of freedom.
The other, located outside a private residence at the corner of North Massachusetts Avenue and Shaver Street, is shrouded in a veil of mystery. Are the proprietors from New York, or are they blacksmiths? Why does this effigy keep watch over an otherwise nondescript intersection? If you have a tip, let us know.
