“I had my doubts so many times,” Rip Caswell said of the drawn-out process. “I thought ‘How many times do I have to promote this idea?’ This really is a test of what a group of people with a vision and common goal can accomplish. “It is an exciting day.”

The many onlookers assembled on the chamber lawn agreed.

Max Maydew, an arch fundraising coordinator, beamed with excitement as he gazed up at the 22-feet high arch. Its top letters boldly proclaim “TROUTDALE” with “Gateway to the Gorge” just below. “I couldn’t be more pleased,” he said, noting how the span fulfills Caswell’s vision of framing downtown and Broughton Bluff above the Sandy River. “It’s just a beautiful piece of arch work.”

As contractors hoisted the last piece into place, a blast of morning sun gleamed across one of Rip Caswell’s bronze trout making the arch come alive.

A ceremony to celebrate the Troutdale Centennial Arch will be held at 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 7, as part of the First Friday Art Walk.

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