Group raffling painting to help pay for replacement flagpole

The Spokane Garry Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is raffling off an oil painting by Ralph Carson to raise money for a new flagpole at a monument to Spokane Garry the group established in 1964.

The monument is on the south side of Drumheller Springs Historical Park, on West Euclid Avenue, where Spokane Garry built a school in 1830.

“Everyone knows him as Chief Garry, but he really wasn’t a chief; he was a son of a chief,” said Patricia Ewers, regent, Spokane Garry Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. “We chose this location for the monument because he built a school there. He was a good educator for his people.”

The monument originally featured a wooden flagpole, which was replaced by an aluminum pole in 2006. That replacement was done by Scout Bradlee Hersey from Boy Scout Troop 2, as his Eagle Scout project.

However, last year the Spokane Garry chapter discovered that the aluminum pole was missing.

“We think it was stolen for recycle value,” said Ewers.

This spring, Ewers’ son Dan Ewers spent eight hours putting in a larger concrete sleeve and anchor for the new fiberglass pole that’s now there.

“We are selling raffle tickets for a chance to buy this beautiful oil painting and taking donations to pay for the pole and accessories,” said Ewers.

The oil painting is made after a postcard showing Spokane Garry’s winter campsite.

“Carson was very dismayed that the Eagle Scout’s project had been ruined, so he gave us the painting to help with the fundraising,” said Ewers. “We are a very small chapter. There are only 34 of us.”