The Miner - Yreka, CA - Figurative Public Sculpture on Waymarking.com

Located in a traffic island in downtown Yreka is a metal sculpture of a miner and his mule panning for gold by artist Ralph Starritt. The sculpture and nearby arched sign spelling 'YREKA' are located in a very strategic position as they greet travelers entering the historic downtown district of Yreka. The sign even lights up at night (pictures provided). Both the sign and sculpture were dedicated during America's bicentennial. There is a metal plaque lying in front of the sculpture that reads:

IN TRIBUTE TO THE RICH MINING HISTORY OF YREKA DEDICATED THIS BICENTENNIAL YEAR 1976 YREKA JAYCEES

There is a web link that highlights artist Ralph Starritt and mentions this sculpture and reads:

Ralph was born and educated in California. He earned an Associate of Arts degree from Shasta Community College in Redding CA. and went on to study at the Academy of arts in San Francisco where he focused on illustration, design, sculpture, cartooning and photography. He studied mechanics at the Oregon Institute of Technology where he learned to weld and use many metals. It turned out to be a turning point when the Jaycees of Yreka commissioned him to create The Miner, in downtown Yreka, CA from scrap metal. This brought new recognition to Ralph's art.

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I have waymarked other Ralph Starritt sculptures, one of Peter Britt, a well-known pioneer of Jacksonville, OR and which resides in front of the BrittFest outdoor venue and another of a patriotic Eagle in Flight within Veterans Park in downtown Dorris. Starritt's work has become a fixture in towns and cities across Southern Oregon and Northern California. He has definitely mastered the art of welded steel and his works fit in well with the terrain and environments they are placed in, i.e., the 'rustic' nature of many of the communities of the Pacific Northwest. The Miner is a perfect example of a sculpture that embodies the history of Yreka in its beginnings as a Gold Rush town and how Yreka came to be the city it is known today.

Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: The Miner Figure Type: Combination of two figure types Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Ralph starritt Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: 1976 Materials used: Welded steel Location: Downtown Yreka Historic District

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