Thomas Fallon, San Jose California
Posted by: 
WalruZ
N 37° 20.252 W 121° 53.785
10S E 597758 N 4132888
Thomas Fallon first raised the United States flag over San Jose California during the Mexican American war.
Waymark Code: WMBRY
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 05/01/2006
Views: 71
This statue was commissioned by the City of San Jose in 1988 to commemorate the raising of the US flag in San Jose by Thomas Fallon in 1846 when California was still a part of Mexico. Fallon lived in Santa Cruz at the time and raised a company of 20 men, crossed the mountains, "captured" the pueblo of San Jose with no bloodshed and then raised the flag over the pueblo administration building. In later years Fallon was San Jose's 10th mayor.
The statue consists of two bronze equestrian figures that together weigh approximately 6000 pounds. The first depicts Thomas Fallon raising the flag, and the other is an unidentified figure assumed to be his aide. The artist is Robert Glen. The statue was produced statue at Mariano Foundry in Piestrasanta, Italy.
Scheduled to be installed downtown in 1990, the sculpture met with fierce resistance from a small band of hispanic residents and was placed into storage for over 10 years. Only recently has it been installed in an obscure city parcel on the northern edge of downtown.