Chief Orono Monument & Dedication
The “Moving” Monument
This monument to Chief Joseph Orono was created in 1911 by members of Orono’s Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization associated with St. Mary of Assumption Church.
Courtesy Bangor Daily News
It was intentionally dedicated on October 13, 1911, the same day on which the State of Maine first celebrated its new Columbus Day holiday.
Initially, the monument to Orono was to be placed in front of St. Mary’s Church (the building to your right). But the Bishop of Portland denied the Knights’ request, stating that only saints should be honored with statues outside the church.
As a compromise, the Knights of Columbus erected the monument to Chief Orono just off church property, to the right of the house of prayer. Sometime before 1937, the monument was moved to the front of St. Mary’s School.
For such a heavy obelisk, the monument sure got around. In 1988, while workmen were transforming the school into apartments, a truck struck and destroyed the memorial stone.
A smaller, though similar, obelisk was designed and placed in its current location a year later.
The obelisk was a popular design choice for public monuments, such as the Washington Monument in D.C. and as funerary memorials in cemeteries. The shape leant itself well to inscriptions, as with the cross and inscription to Chief Joseph Orono you can see on this stone.
Today we are walking to remember Wabanaki veterans, just as the citizens of Orono walked in 1911 to honor both Columbus and Chief Joseph Orono.
On the morning of October 13, 1911, young and old gathered at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Mill Street and marched to the monument on Main Street. Mass was held at St. Mary’s, followed by the monument dedication in the afternoon. Father Harrington, pastor at St. Mary’s, delivered an address in which he shared his take on Chief Orono’s life. Harrington’s speech focused on the Penobscot leader’s French ancestry, his dedication to Catholicism, his light-colored hair and blue eyes, his facility with English, and Orono’s commitment to the Americans in the Revolutionary War.
Attending the dedication ceremony were the present and past leaders of Penobscot Nation: Governor Peter Nicola and former Tribal Governor Joe Francis, who unveiled the monument. (Please note that, during the tenure of Penobscot Chief Barry Dana from 2000 to 2004, the title of “Tribal Governor” was replaced with “sagama” or “Chief.”)
Events continued into the evening with another history lecture at Town Hall, followed by a play depicting Columbus at the court of Spain, his departure, and his “landing on American soil.” The evening ended with a ball featuring music from Pullens Orchestra.
Catholic Total Abstinence Fountain
The Catholic Total Abstinence Fountain was dedicated on July 4, 1876 during America’s first World’s Fair in Philadelphia. Designed by the Irish-American temperance organization, the center sculptural component features a 16-ton statue of Moses. Carved medallions on the outside walls of the fountain represent Catholic figures from the American Revolution, including Penobscot Chief Joseph Orono.
Reflection Questions
Why did the Knights of Columbus choose to memorialize Chief Orono?
What mythologizing do you notice happening at the 1911 celebration?
How do mythologizing and stereotyping contribute to erasure?
This research was compiled as part of the Walk to Honor Wabanaki Veterans, which took place in Orono on June 21, 2025. For more information about this walk, click here.
For more research related to this area, click on the tags below. To download a hi-res version of the posters below for educational use, please contact where@atlanticblackbox.com.
This event is part of the Walk for Historical and Ecological Recovery (WHERE), a series convened by Atlantic Black Box devoted to grassroots truth-seeking and transformation. It was organized under the leadership of James Eric Francis, Sr. in collaboration with the Penobscot Nation Cultural & Historic Preservation Department, the Town of Orono, the City of Old Town, the UMaine Wabanaki Center, Bangor Public Library, Orono Public Library, RSU 26, The Wabanaki Alliance, The Abbe Museum, Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness, The Wilson Center, The Church of Universal Fellowship, Ça C’est Bon, and Orono Arts Fest.