On April 12, 2005, there was an article in the “Community” section of the Idaho State Journal featuring Sam Nettinga, the former Director of the Chamber of Commerce and, at that time, the interim Director of the Chamber of Commerce. The article discussed his ideas for a statue representing Chief Pocatello. The first suggestion was that an electronic sign be placed south of town, next to the I-15 freeway, with Chief Pocatello on one side and a bronco rider on the other. The Department of Transportation discouraged such a distraction, citing safety and aesthetic considerations.
The final decision was to erect a 9 foot statue of Chief Pocatello in the south of Pocatello, and put it on a 7 foot base (for an imposing 16 feet) near the Visitor’s Center and a major I-15 exit. Sam, being a member of the Valley Pride Board, suggested that they spearhead the project. It was approved.
Around 2003 an internationally known artist, J. D. Adcox, moved into town from Arizona, following his grandchildren. He had daughters in Idaho Falls, Billings and Portland as well as a son in McCammon and felt that Pocatello was a good central location. He was approached to sculpt the statue and agreed to do it. As he said later, a statue of this size would generally cost over $150,000. He agreed to do it for $42,500 as his gift to the people of the city and the people Chief Pocatello represented.
A small model was produced and taken to about a dozen of Chief Pocatello’s descendents for their comments. The statue had the chief holding a peace pipe in his right hand. As the tribal members began to talk, it became immediately evident that they felt that a warrior such as Chief Pocatello would never have smoked a peace pipe with a white man-and if he did, the pipe was never held in the right hand. After discussion, the pipe was eliminated and a feathered ceremonial staff replaced it.
The stone that was to be carved was a 4 by 4 by 9 foot block of Idaho Travertine from a quarry west of Dubois, Idaho. The cost to bring it to the Adcox Studio in Pocatello was $10,000. It was paid for by a Spaulding grant of $6,000 and a Convention and Visitor’s Bureau (Auditorium District) donation of $4,000.
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