Bear Flag Monument - Sonoma, CA - Figurative Public Sculpture on Waymarking.com

Located in the NE corner of Sonoma Plaza are a few monuments and plaques dedicated to the 'Bear Flag Revolt,' a historic moment in California history. Among the monuments is a sculpture monument depicting a man holding a flag on top of a large rock with two relief plaques, one on north side and one on the south side. The man wears a neckerchief and a shirt with sleeves rolled up to the elbows. He holds a flagpole in his left hand and a hat in his right hand. On the relief plaque on the front of the base a grizzly bear stands on all fours on top of a shield with the crossed flags of the United States and California. On the relief plaque on the back of the base, men on horseback and on foot raise the bear flag. The relief plaque on the north side reads:

THIS MONUMENT WAS ERECTED BY THE NATIVE SONS OF THE GOLDEN WEST AND THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA TO COMMEMORATE THE RAISING OF THE "BEAR FLAG" ON THIS SPOT JUNE 14 1846 BY THE BEAR FLAG PARTY AND THEIR DECLARATION OF THE FREEDOM OF CALIFORNIA FROM MEXICAN RULE. ON JULY 9, 1846, THE BEAR FLAG WAS HAULED DOWN AND THE AMERICAN FLAG HERE RAISED IN ITS PLACE BY LIEUTENANT JOSEPH W. REVERE U.S.A. WHO WAS SENT TO SONOMA FROM SAN FRANCISCO BY COMMANDER JOHN. B. MONTGOMERY OF THE U.S. SLOOP OF WAR "PORTSMOUTH" FOLLOWING THE RAISING OF THE AMERICAN FLAG AT MONTEREY JULY 7 1846 BY COMMODORE JOHN DRAKE SLOAT.

There is a nice webpage on the City of Sonoma website that highlights the history behind the 'Bear Flag Revolt' and can be read about in more detail here.

Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: Bear Flag Monument Figure Type: Human Artist Name or use 'Unknown' if not known: John A. MacQuarrie Date created or placed or use 'Unknown' if not known: June 14, 1914 Materials used: bronze on a rock base Location: Sonoma Plaza

Visit Instructions:
Please upload at least one photo you have personally taken of the sculpture and tell us a little about your impressions of the piece. Additional photos are always appreciated.

Recent Visits/Logs:

There are no logs for this waymark yet.