The statue was commissioned to artist
Alonzo Victor Lewis, for a time a local artist before settling permanently in Seattle, WA. It was the brainchild of the Daughters of the Grand Army of the Republic among others, to be erected in honor of Civil War veterans of the states of Washington and Alaska.
The monument was remotely unveiled by President Herbert Hoover, from Washington, D.C., on Armistice day, 1930, in front of a crowd estimated at 40,000 people.
The Lincoln Statue was created by Seattle sculptor Victor Lewis. Lewis’ concept was of Lincoln reviewing his troops in battle, a portrayal of Lincoln that at the time had never been done. Lewis considered this statue to be one of “the most powerful statues to have been made.” The granite base upon which Lincoln stands was reportedly designed by architect Kirtland Cutter.
From Historic Spokane
The sculpture was proposed in 1922 by the Daughters of the Grand Army of the Republic in honor of Civil War veterans Washington and Alaska. The cost of the sculpture was $25,000; $6,000 of which was raised by school children who collected pennies. The sculpture was unveiled on Armistice Day, 1930, at the intersection of Main and Monroe streets. In 1967 the sculpture was moved 30 feet from its original location to its present site in the traffic island. The move was necessitated by a reconfiguration of the downtown streets. The base was designed by Northwest architect
Kirtland Cutter.
From Smithsonian Catalog