Statue of President McKinley to be removed from Arcata town square

In this file photo, former Arcata councilman Dave Meserve stands beneath a statue of President McKinley in the center of the square in Arcata, Calif., Friday, May 9, 2003. In this file photo, former Arcata councilman Dave Meserve stands beneath a statue of President McKinley in the center of the square in Arcata, Calif., Friday, May 9, 2003. Photo: ERIC RISBERG, AP Photo: ERIC RISBERG, AP Image 1 of / 60 Caption Close Statue of President McKinley to be removed from Arcata town square 1 / 60 Back to Gallery

A bronze statue of President William McKinley has held court over the picturesque town square of Arcata, Calif. for more than a century. It will soon be torn down.

The 8 1/2-foot monument and a nearby plaque have long been a point of contention among Arcata residents, some of whom say McKinley's expansionist policies were racist toward indigenous people. During his presidential tenure at the turn of the 20th century, McKinley annexed tribal lands in the western U.S. and Hawaii in the name of Manifest Destiny.

In a 4-1 vote on Wednesday, Arcata City Council decided to tear down the McKinley statue and place it into storage. The only dissenting vote came from councilmember Michael Winkler, who proposed letting the public decide via ballot measure.

A 1963 plaque that denotes the historic status of a town square structure, the Jacoby Building, will also be removed. The plaque includes offensive wording referring to a "time of Indian troubles." It will be replaced with a new marker designating the historical significance of the building - known locally as the Jacoby Storehouse - and the region's indigenous history.

Many of those in attendance spoke during the public comment portion of the gathering or sent letters to City Council voicing their thoughts on the issue. Some applauded the push to remove the statue, citing McKinley's imperialist legacy and lack of ties to the city.

"The statue doesn't symbolize what we want in our living room, the center of our plaza, to symbolize," said councilmember Susan Ornelas, per the North Coast Journal.

Others said they resented the monetary cost of the removal, a motion that could cost the city up to $60,000.

According to local lore, the statue of the assassinated president was brought to Arcata after it was created to in San Francisco and nearly ruined in the 1906 earthquake and fire. The community of McKinleyville, just north of Arcata, was named in honor of the 25th president.

The vote to remove the statue follows a year that saw countless monuments torn down across California and the nation. Earlier this week San Francisco officials said they plan to remove a "racist" statue of a subjugated Native American from Civic Center.

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.