Erected in 1883, this unique monument commemorated the first two families to settle in what later became Portland. On four sides of the 14-foot (4.27 m) tall obelisk were the historical names of Portland since 1632: Machigonne, Casco, Falmouth, and Portland. The obelisk was gray granite. It stood at the base of Congress Street and overlooked the verdant slopes of Eastern Promenade and the islands of Casco Bay. It was the first public monument erected in Portland. It also was potentially of particular interest to enthusiasts of Portland’s early history and to contemporary relatives of Portland’s early colonial settlers. We most appreciated the beauty of the obelisk’s setting above Casco Bay. We disliked nothing about the obelisk itself or what it represented.