Visitors to Plaza Island located in the heart of downtown Ashland will notice two drinking fountains. One is a large, iron fountain and the other is a smaller granite fountain. This larger, iron fountain ( better known as "Pioneer Mike" or "Iron Mike" to locals) was built and dedicated by the City of Ashland to Henry B. and Harriet H. Carter, a couple who were very established within the community of Ashland in the late 1800s. Iron Mike depicts a pioneer cradling a flintlock rifle and shading his eye as he searches for game. It was conceived by the pioneer Breyman family of Salem and cast by the Mott Ironworks of New York. It honors 1884 immigrants Henry and Harriet Carter, who came here from Iowa and founded the Bank of Ashland. Henry Carter also created Siskiyou Boulevard from his properties and was a prime mover in fruit, electricity and land enterprises. Henry B. was born Sep 01, 1824 and died Apr 22, 1896. His wife Harriet H. was born Mar 30, 1827 and died Nov 12, 1902. I found an online excerpt that says the following:
With his sons, E.V. and F.H. Carter moved to Ashland from Iowa and established the Bank of Ashland -- an institution that constituted the sole banking interest in the community until 1909. Carter platted a large addition to Ashland, owned several orchard tracts, and was very active in local real estate. His home on Gresham Street is included in the inventory and on the National Register of Historic Places.
I also found this online excerpt describing Henry B. and Harriet H. Carter:
The descendant of a prominent New England family that settled in Connecticut in colonial days, Henry B. Carter was born in Tallmadge,
Ohio, in 1821, died in Los Angeles, Cal., in April, 1896 and was buried in Ashland, Ore. Removing to Iowa when a young man he settled in Elkader, Clayton county, where he was a pioneer farmer, for a number of years being engaged in agricultural pursuits in that locality, and in Lyon county, Iowa. Retiring from the farm, he opened a general store in Elkader, and in 1871 established the First National Bank of Elkader. He took an active interest in industrial
and public matters, both in town and county, and was an extensive stock dealer and shipper. For one term he served as state senator. Making a trip to Oregon in 1S81, he was very much impressed with the fertility of the Rogue River valley, and made a second visit in 1882. In 1884 he settled with his family in Ashland, Jackson county, and in that year organized the Bank of Ashland, becoming one of its largest stockholders. He also became associated with other enterprises, being a pioneer horticulturist of this locality. Improving an orchard of one hundred acres, he embarked in the culture of peaches, and was one of the first to make large shipments of this fruit from this county. He owned valuable city property, and was interested in the original Ashland Hotel Company. He was also the prime mover in the establishing and installing of the Ashland Electric Light and Power Company, serving as its first resident. Politically he was a staunch Republican, and fraternally he was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He married Harriet H. Coe, who was born in Tallmadge,
Ohio, of New England ancestry. She died in November, 1902, in Ashland. She was a most estimable woman, respected by all, and was prominent in church and temperance work. Of the eight children born of their union, five grew to years of maturity, namely : Frank H., of Ashland ; Mrs. Ellen C. Galey, of Ashland; Mrs. Orra A. Pordy, of Houston, Tex. ; Ernest V., the special subject of this sketch; and Albert R., of Salem, Ore. Frank H. Carter, the eldest son, was an extensive and successful orchardist ; the vice-president of the Bank of Ashland ; secretary and manager of the Ashland Electric Light
and Power Company ; and regent of the state normal school.
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This fountain is one of three contributing structures within Plaza Island that is part of the Ashland Downtown Historic District. This fountain was built by J. L. Mott Iron Works. I also found a nice set of historical pictures of this memorial fountain on the UO Digital Archives website here and an old picture of this fountain here. This fountain used to be painted white!
If you're brave enough to taste the Lithia water that flows out of the fountain, you'll most likely give a great repulsive look afterwards since this water smells like sulfur and tastes bitter and pungent.