OLYMPIA — Flanking all four corners of the old Carlyon Bridge that carries Capitol Boulevard through Tumwater are four sculptures that were once known as the only concrete totem poles in the world.
Karen Johnson, curator with the Olympia Tumwater Foundation, walked The Olympian through the history of the totem poles and what role they play today, at a time when some totem poles made by non-native artists have been removed from some communities, including Tumwater.
Johnson said the bridge on Capitol Boulevard was constructed in 1937 as part of an effort to straighten up the winding main road between Portland and Seattle. Along with the bridge, built by the Bureau of Public Roads, came four concrete totem poles that act as pylons.
Johnson said the totems were proclaimed by the Olympian Stone Company of Seattle to be the only cement, or concrete, totem poles in the world at the time.
With an Art Deco influence, the bridge features chevrons, zigzags and rectangular forms. There are four statements on the bridge: “South Gateway to the Puget Sound Country and the Olympic Peninsula;” the “Beginning of the Inside Passage to British Columbia and Alaska;” and the “Entrance to the City of Olympia Capital of the State of Washington.”
The fourth is a historical reference to Tumwater when it was known as New Market: the “Site of the First American Pioneer Settlement in Washington 1845.”
Each totem pole is identical, featuring a raven at the top with a street light hidden in its beak. Below that is a grizzly bear showing its teeth and elongated claws, followed by an eagle and another bear.
According to the city’s website, the poles are done in what could be categorized as the Haida style, but with an Art Deco touch reminiscent of the 1920s and ‘30s.
A landmark
The color on the poles has changed over the years. They stayed untouched for many years, uncolored and gray, until brewer Peter Schmidt, the founder of the Olympia Tumwater Foundation, commissioned artists to paint them in 1951.
Johnson found a photo from 1951 after the poles were painted. Under the photo, Schmidt wrote, “Totem Pole at Highway 99 made of concrete. There are two at each end of the bridge. Few people ever noticed them but I recently had them painted (Olympia Brewing Company paid for it, altho I had intended to do it.) Now dozens of people stop, come back and take photos of the Totems, which are very good and in their new bright colors are points of great interest and remembered landmarks.”
In a letter addressed to Larry Crosby, Schmidt said, “I had painted (the totems) the regular Indian colors by a painter who was born in Alaska.” Johnson’s research found the two painters were born in Washington, though it’s possible Schmidt received advice from an Alaska native artist.
When first painted, the totem poles were red, yellow, black, white, brown, orange, gold and mauve. Johnson said not all those colors are seen in traditional native art. New lamps were installed in the beaks in 1990, and the bridge and totem poles were cleaned and repainted with shades of coral and turquoise.
Johnson said there aren’t many Washington tribes who make totem poles. Some coastal tribes have welcome poles, which are typically smaller. However, Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., have totem poles made by local tribes, but not many mauve or coral shades are seen.
However, the forms in the concrete totem poles are pretty authentic, Johnson said.
Johnson said the totem poles are unique in being cast from concrete, because most are made out of wood, often cedar, and not made to last.
“They’re made to degrade and to rot. And the very old poles that are up in Haida Gwaii on the Queen Charlotte Islands have degraded, mostly rotted, and the tribes up there, when somebody asks, ‘Aren’t you preserving them?’ they say, ‘No, they’re not made to last.’”
Some mystery surrounds who originally designed the totem poles themselves. Johnson said the only clue she has comes from a 1937 blueprint of the bridge from the Department of Transportation. In the corner, under designed, are the initials L.L.
Johnson said she and former Tumwater City Council member Charlie Schneider began an effort a few years ago to bring more attention to the totem poles. She hoped the city would clean them up and possibly have them repainted, but that effort has stalled.
A potential controversy?
Charlie Schneider told The Olympian the efforts to clean and repaint the bridge were brought up in 2020-2021, a time when he said people had become sensitive about cultures, diversity and inclusion.
Schneider said he brought the idea to clean them to the city council along with photos showing the original colors. He thought the pastel colors looked terrible.
He was told by a former employee the bridge and totems were cleaned up every 10 years. And painting them wasn’t on the work plan because it could create controversy.
“Because it’s not indigenous people appear to be offended by it because it’s not part of their culture here locally,” Schneider said. “And I even talked to one of the tribes, and they weren’t happy with it as well. It was suggested that I didn’t bring it up because it could create an issue with the city and their local tribes.”
Charlene Krise, a member and leader of the Squaxin Island Tribe, told The Olympian she recently visited the totems, and she remarked on their beauty. She said whoever the artist was, they were true to form. But the Squaxin Island Tribe Museum doesn’t have any information about them.
Debbie Preston, spokesperson for the Nisqually Tribe, said her tribe doesn’t have any information on the sculptures either.
Schneider said there are a number of properties in the Tumwater area that have totem poles, including the Olympia Tumwater Foundation and the Little Creek Casino.
The Old Town Center used to have one as well. Schneider said the totem pole was made by a Tumwater citizen, and it had weathered over 25 or so years. Schneider took it upon himself to ask the city if he could refurbish and repaint the sculpture, and dedicate it with a small plaque.
He said the council originally had no objection to his plans. But once the plaque was up, several council members objected. He said the totem pole was taken down a few months later.
Schneider said it was suggested at that time that maybe the concrete bridge totem poles should be taken down. But then the city realized it would affect the structure of the bridge itself.
“The city just said, it’s better if I didn’t say anything, because it could create a lot more headache, and it could be controversial, and my response was, it’s historical, and I think we should restore it back to the original colors.”
Schneider said he doesn’t think the totem poles currently speak well of the city, and the area is an eyesore as it sits now.
“I just don’t think it represents our city very well, and I expressed that,” he said.
Tumwater spokesperson Jason Wettstein said any efforts to address the bridge were put on hold as staff further researched the history of the statues, and the person managing those efforts no longer works for the city.
Wettstein said the city used to hire someone to repaint the statues periodically, but that has not happened for a while.
“We are considering a variety of projects in the city, and this is likely a good candidate for more exploration,” he said. “Next steps may be for us to gain some advice from a tribal expert and perhaps others with a historical perspective on this before deciding what to do.”
