Photo: City of Arcata.

UPDATE, 9:15 a.m.: Press release from the City of Arcata:

The statue of President William McKinley was removed from Arcata’s Plaza on Thursday, February 28. City staff continued with the statue removal process when a break in the rain occurred with a long enough window for it to be transported safely and at a time when Plaza businesses, parking and traffic would be least impacted. The City is currently working with the City of Canton, Ohio to relocate the statue.

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Mad River Union editor Jack Durham briefly fills the hole at the center of the Arcata Plaza where the McKinley Statue stood until early this morning. Photos: Andrew





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Photo: Submitted by reader.

UPDATE, 8:25: a.m.: Still fairly quiet on the Plaza, apart from the machinery. Not too many onlookers, and no one appears to be there to mourn, at least at the moment.

A few moments ago, Arcata City Manager Karen Diemer spoke with the Outpost’s Andrew Goff at the scene. She said that the city hadn’t intended to remove the statue in secret — that it was working within a short “weather window,” to get the job done, she said.

Audio:

Karen Diemer speaks on the Plaza.

Where the plinth once was.

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President William McKinley was ushered off the Arcata Plaza early this morning, after standing at the town’s center for more than 100 years.

The removal of the statue this morning had not been announced — the president left without ceremony — but the project has been in the works since the City Council voted to remove it last year.

We’ll have more later this morning.

Photo: Lucas Thornton.

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