You will enjoy gazing at this graceful bronze elk sculpture that rests on a large pedestal on Southwest Main Street. The statue celebrates a herd of majestic elk that used to graze in the nearby area more than a century ago. David P. Thompson, serving as Portland's mayor from 1879-1882, donated this statue to the city in celebration of the elks' presence. The fountain originally served as a watering trough for horses in the era before the automobile. An important piece of Portland's past, it makes one think of a time when wagons and buggies filled Portland's cobblestone streets, accompanied by the sharp clip-clop of horse hooves.