Monaghan statue likely headed to family mausoleum in Fairmont Memorial Park later this year
The memorial statue of John Monaghan, which currently sits at Monroe Street and Riverside Avenue in downtown Spokane, could be headed to the Monaghan family mausoleum in Fairmount Memorial Park. (Jesse Tinsley/THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW)Buy a print of this photo
The statue of Ensign John Monaghan, who was killed in the second Samoan Civil War, likely will be moved to the Monaghan family mausoleum in Fairmount Memorial Park, closing a chapter on the yearslong debate over whether the statue should be removed from its prominent downtown Spokane location where it has stood since 1906.
Members of Monaghan’s family have reportedly given their blessing for the move, according to Megan Duvall, historic preservation officer for the city. The board of the Fairmount Memorial Association has also reportedly agreed to accept the statue, according to city spokeswoman Erin Hut, though attempts to reach association leadership for comment Monday were unsuccessful.
The removal has been recommended by the Spokane Human Rights Commission, but a final decision to move the statue will rest on the Spokane City Council. That vote is not yet scheduled.
The transfer is expected to happen sometime this year during planned work on the roadway to modify a right turn off Monroe Street onto Riverside Avenue, though specifics are pending. The statue is currently located on a concrete island next to the turn that would be modified by this construction work.
Monaghan was a U.S. Navy ensign killed in 1899 near Apia, Samoa, during a war between colonizing and native factions over control of territory on the islands. The statue, which the city does not own but is located on city property, was commissioned by residents.
One plaque on the statue describes the Samoans who killed Monaghan as a “savage foe,” while another depicts those Samoans as wielding primitive weapons, which activists have called historically inaccurate and racist. The Spokane Council of the Navy League of the United States has argued that aspects of the memorial should be updated, but the statue should remain because Monaghan acted heroically to protect a fellow sailor in battle.
The Spokane City Council created a formal process for the “deaccession,” or the removal of art from an agency’s holdings, in 2024, specifically with the Monaghan statue in mind.
Editor’s note: This story was updated on April 17, 2025, to reflect that Navy Ensign John Monaghan of Spokane was killed in a battle during the second Samoan Civil War in 1899. The original version incorrectly reported the conflict Monaghan was engaged in when he was killed.