Post Falls Chips Away At Restoring Explorer’s Statue City Applies For Grant To Cover Half Of Repair Cost

Capt. John Mullan is missing his nose.

At least, the statue in his honor in Post Falls is missing its nose. And part of its mustache, and a chunk of its beard, and flecks of marble clothing. Even the date commemorating the years he explored the region has been chipped away by vandals, loose gravel on Mullan Avenue and harsh North Idaho weather.

“It has some nose trouble,” said Bob Templin, a member of the Post Falls Historical Society and president of Templin’s Resort Hotel, referring to the statue’s missing schnoz.

It’s not hard to understand how Templin, whose business thrives on tourist dollars, would admire the explorer and topographical engineer: Mullan wrote the first book on travel in the area.

Mullan explored the region in the 1850s. From 1859 to 1862, he led Army crews in construction of the Inland Northwest’s first engineered road. It stretched 624 miles from Ft. Walla Walla on the Columbia River to Ft. Benton on the Missouri River in Montana.

The travel book he wrote from his exploration of the area and the road construction gave tips for settlers on where to find feed for their horses, wood for their fires and drinking water.

“It was a tough route,” said Kim Brown, chairwoman of the statue restoration effort for the historical society.

“The work that he did was critical because the railroad would follow.”

Mullan’s mission was to find the most feasible route to the Pacific Ocean through the Northwest.

“After all, the guy performed quite a feat in bringing the road out here,” said Don Kamps, a member of the Post Falls Historical Society. “If we’re going to build a statue of him, it should be kept in good shape.”

Brown is applying for a grant from Idaho Heritage Trust for $1,750 - half of the total price it will cost to repair the city’s only statue. She hopes donations from people in Post Falls can cover the remainder.

Tresko Monument Company in Spokane would take three to four weeks to repair the 79-year-old statue. It has already repaired another Mullan statue; there are seven in communities in North Idaho and Montana.

“We’re hoping to get it restored as part of our heritage,” Brown said. “It’s a matter of appreciating our past and appreciating what we are today.”

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