Willamette Meteorite - Modern History

Modern History

The Willamette Meteorite was discovered in the Willamette Valley of Oregon near the modern city of West Linn. Although apparently known to Native Americans, its modern discovery was made by settler Ellis Hughes in 1902. At that time the land was owned by the Oregon Iron and Steel Company. Hughes recognized the meteorite's significance, and in an attempt to claim ownership, secretly moved it to his own land. This involved 90 days of hard work to cover the 3/4 mile (1200 m) distance. The move was discovered, and after a lawsuit, the Oregon Supreme Court held that Oregon Iron and Steel Company was the legal owner. Oregon Iron Co. v. Hughes, 47 Or 313, 82 P 572 (1905).

In 1905 the meteorite was purchased by Mrs. William E. Dodge for $26,000 (around $680,000 in 2011). After being displayed at the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, it was donated to the American Museum of Natural History in New York City where it has since been on display.

The meteorite was apparently venerated by the Clackamas tribe inhabiting the area where it was found. The Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, a confederation of Native American tribes, used the meteorite, which they call Tomanowos, in ceremonies and demanded that it be returned and filed a NAGPRA action (Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act) against the American Museum of Natural History in 1999. In response, the Museum filed a federal lawsuit seeking a declaratory judgment against the Grand Ronde in 2000. An agreement with the Museum was reached later that year in which the meteorite would remain at the museum with tribal members being able to conduct a private ceremony around the meteorite once a year, and that ownership will be transferred to Grand Ronde should the museum cease to have the meteorite on display.

In response to a student's request in 2007, Representative John Lim introduced a resolution that would demand that the museum return the meteorite to Oregon. The tribes said they were not consulted, they did not support the resolution, and were content with the current arrangement with the museum.

The 28-pound (13 kg) crown section of the meteorite that had been traded to the Macovich Collection for a Martian meteorite in 1997, was planned to be auctioned in October 2007, which led to claims of insensitivity by the Grand Ronde. Bidders dropped out when an editorial in the Portland Oregonian newspaper asserted the Grand Ronde would file a lawsuit against the new owner, but the Grand Ronde disavowed the editorial and said they had no such intent, and that they couldn't stop the sale. While the newspaper printed an apology, the specimen was withdrawn. A lawsuit was filed against the newspaper in Oregon Circuit Court and failed.

A 4.5-ounce (130 g), 7.5-inch (19 cm) piece of the meteorite, also with a Macovich Collection provenance, was purchased in a 2006 auction and is on display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon.