Discovery Hike: The Life of Lafe Pence with Gabriel Liston

From 1906 to 1908, miner, lawyer, former US Congressman and sweet-talker, Lafe Pence attempted to fill in Guild’s Lake with mud blasted off the hillside. He failed, but got far enough in his project to scuttle the city’s hopes of turning the Lewis and Clark Exposition grounds into a sprawling public park. Although our sainted mayor, Dr Lane, briefly smashed Pence’s flumes, what eventually ended the reclamation fiasco was  bad math and a murder trial.

Come and discover the history of Forest Park, walking the trails with local artist and researcher, Gabriel Liston!

When: Saturday July 3rd, 10:00am – 1:00pm.

Where: Wild Cherry/Dogwood Trailhead. Carpooling is encouraged at this trailhead, as there is limited parking. We will walk the remains of his works along Wildwood, Wild Cherry, Dogwood, and Leif Ericsson trails and discuss the impact of his brief and busy time in Portland.

Hike Leader: Gabriel Liston is an artist and researcher. His 2016 Froelick Gallery show, Get All That Is Coming to You, was built around a search for all visible remains of Lafe Pence’s folly.

Additionally, FPC will continue to abide by the Oregon Health Authority guidelines, and we ask that all participants follow our policy guidelines found here. All participants will be asked to wear a mask and remain 6ft from any other participant group, and FPC will make every effort to provide materials to keep participants safe and healthy!

Please be sure to wear close-toed shoes, weather appropriate clothing, and bring sunscreen and bug spray, if you believe you might need it!

If you have any questions or concerns, please email us!

Thank you to our Discovery Hikes sponsor!