Stonehenge Memorial


This cenotaph (a monument built to a person or persons whose remains lie elsewhere), was built by noted eccentric Sam Hill, whose own tomb lies nearby, to commemorate 13 young Klickitat County men who gave their lives in World War I. The altar stone was dedicated on July 4th, 1918 and the full structure was completed and dedicated on May 30th 1929. Sam Hill had the structure fabricated out of concrete to resemble how the original megalithic Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England must have appeared ca. 1350 B.C.. Sam Hill’s Stonehenge sits high on a bluff overlooking the Columbia River near Maryhill, Washington.

During a total eclipse of the sun in February,1979, Stonehenge, not surprisingly, became a center of activity. Thousands of people, including members of the New Order of Reformed Druids, gathered at Sam Hill’s concrete creation to witness the moon “eating the sun”. The participants sang and chanted in the darkness until the sun again emerged from behind the moon.

Sam Hill also built a town, (Maryhill) and a museum, (The Maryhill Museum) both named for his wife, Mary, on his isolated property. He was noted for his eccentric ways and although he did not originate the phrase he certainly helped propagate the oft used phrase ‘What the Sam Hill are you doing?!’.
Photo and text © Douglas Keister Visit Doug’s Author Page

[address cemetery=”” street=”” city=”Maryhill” state=”Washington” zip=””]

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