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<b>Early 1900s:</b> The original metal sculpture of Hebe stood at the junction of Main Street and Cass Avenue in Roseburg.
In 47 days, Hebe will be unveiled to the public.
Nearly a century will have passed since the goddess of hospitality was first erected in downtown Roseburg and a new statuette is raised in her place.
“Ninety-nine years to the day,” Stacey Crowe, a Roseburg city councilor, said of the Sept. 30 event.
The 3 p.m. ceremony in Eagle Park will be a celebration of Roseburg history, Crowe said, with live music performed by a band that will be named later.
“I know you will all be proud of the final product,” she said.
Hebe was first erected in 1908 in Roseburg. But she didn’t stand for long. A runaway team of horses knocked her over in 1912 and broke both her arms and cracked her back.
Hebe’s 4-foot-11-inch replacement, however, has been an issue of controversy within Roseburg for the past few years.
On several occasions, members of the Douglas County Evangelical Fellowship have protested at City Council meetings the second-coming of Hebe, saying the goddess was also representative of intoxication in Greek mythology as the cupbearer of nectar and ambrosia to the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus.
In January 2005, newly installed Commissioner Marilyn Kittelman ordered then-Museum Director Stacey McLaughlin to stop work on a planned Hebe exhibit at the museum. That caused a furor that later led to McLaughlin’s suspension and firing.
McLaughlin later sued the county, claiming she was illegally fired. The county ended up paying her $450,000 to settle her claim.
The exhibit was eventually held at the museum.
In May 2006, Hebe was delivered to Roseburg from Denmark, but she stayed in a crate so a base could be fabricated that would resemble her original base.
The Maiden Foundry of Sandy was commissioned to build the new base.
In April, Crowe said more than $60,000 had been raised for the re-installation of Hebe.
Foundation and statue together, the original drinking fountain of Hebe stood 12 feet high, with water basins for people, horses and dogs. It was located at the intersection of Cass Avenue and Main Street.
• You can reach reporter Adam Pearson at 957-4213 or by e-mail at apearson@newsreview.info.
Nearly a century will have passed since the goddess of hospitality was first erected in downtown Roseburg and a new statuette is raised in her place.
“Ninety-nine years to the day,” Stacey Crowe, a Roseburg city councilor, said of the Sept. 30 event.
The 3 p.m. ceremony in Eagle Park will be a celebration of Roseburg history, Crowe said, with live music performed by a band that will be named later.
“I know you will all be proud of the final product,” she said.
Hebe was first erected in 1908 in Roseburg. But she didn’t stand for long. A runaway team of horses knocked her over in 1912 and broke both her arms and cracked her back.
Hebe’s 4-foot-11-inch replacement, however, has been an issue of controversy within Roseburg for the past few years.
On several occasions, members of the Douglas County Evangelical Fellowship have protested at City Council meetings the second-coming of Hebe, saying the goddess was also representative of intoxication in Greek mythology as the cupbearer of nectar and ambrosia to the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus.
In January 2005, newly installed Commissioner Marilyn Kittelman ordered then-Museum Director Stacey McLaughlin to stop work on a planned Hebe exhibit at the museum. That caused a furor that later led to McLaughlin’s suspension and firing.
McLaughlin later sued the county, claiming she was illegally fired. The county ended up paying her $450,000 to settle her claim.
The exhibit was eventually held at the museum.
In May 2006, Hebe was delivered to Roseburg from Denmark, but she stayed in a crate so a base could be fabricated that would resemble her original base.
The Maiden Foundry of Sandy was commissioned to build the new base.
In April, Crowe said more than $60,000 had been raised for the re-installation of Hebe.
Foundation and statue together, the original drinking fountain of Hebe stood 12 feet high, with water basins for people, horses and dogs. It was located at the intersection of Cass Avenue and Main Street.
• You can reach reporter Adam Pearson at 957-4213 or by e-mail at apearson@newsreview.info.
