Sacramento John Sutter Statue Removed After Recent Vandalism
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — A statue commemorating one of Sacramento's most prominent historical residents is being taken down.
The statue of John Sutter outside on the property of the Sutter Health Medical Center hospital near 28th and L streets was recently the target of vandalism. It was among the numerous incidents of vandalism to statues in recent days across the country.
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On Monday, crews could be seen working to hoist the statue off of its base.
In a statement, Sutter Health says the decision was made to remove the statue out of respect to people's viewpoints and in the interest of public safety.
"There are important conversations happening across the country about the appropriate representation of statues and monuments, and we look forward to listening to and participating in future conversations about how our own community may display artwork from the different communities and individuals that have played important roles in Sacramento's history," Sutter Health wrote in a statement about the statue's removal.
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Sutter Health noted that the statue had originally been donated to the hospital. Exactly where the statue is being taken is unclear at this point.
A 19th-century European settle and pioneer, Sutter founded the Sutter's Fort trading post in what would eventually become California's capital city. His legacy includes not just that fort, but also several landmarks, schools, a mountain range, and even a county named after him.
His legacy isn't without controversy, as activists and historians have highlighted. Sutter's record with Native Americans has come under scrutiny in recent years, with some historians saying he enslaved hundreds of natives as part of his business.
Still, other historians note that Sutter is seen as an icon of industry that opened the pathway to migration to California.
The Sutter statue's vandalism came amid a nationwide reexamination of statues honoring historical figures in the wake of George Floyd's death.