Find of the Month
Each month we highlight interesting, important, and odd items from our collection, along with the stories they tell.
Most recent Find of the Month
February 2026 - Fremont Troll
The Fremont Arts Council applied for a Neighborhood Matching Fund grant in 1989 for a project they called "Hall of Giants" to create a sculptural environment in the view corridor underneath the north end of the Aurora Bridge, an area full of garbage and old mattresses. Their goal was to clean up "a badly littered neighborhood eye-sore and nose-sore” and construct a focal point for community pride. The council proposed a design competition from which finalists would be chosen for neighborhood residents to vote on, with the goal of "creating a tangible piece of art which will hopefully out live us all."
At this time, Fremont was a low to moderate income neighborhood known for its community of artists and its creative ethic. Previous Fremont Arts Council projects included the "Waiting for the Interurban" statue and the blue and orange paint job on the Fremont Bridge. The Hall of Giants proposal was the second phase in the creation of a park near the Aurora Bridge.
Forty proposals were received from artists across the country. Of these, four designs were made into models to be voted on by Fremont residents: an arrangement of living room furniture; an abstract piece using garbage to portray the importance of recycling; four stone musicians on a concert stage, and a troll clutching a Volkswagen. Voting took place at the Fremont Fair in June 1990 and continued through mid-July at locations including the Fremont library.
On July 19, the Fremont Troll was announced as the winning design. Comments from voters included, "Very creative and in the spirit of Fremont," "A bit of whimsy would do everyone some good, besides trolls need homes too," and "It’s got a certain Fremontian character to it." Another commenter simply said, "Nice nose."
September 29, 1990, was declared to be Troll Day, with a party to dedicate the site. A poster promised "Music! Food! Dirt! Fun! Shovels! Statistics!" while a press release advertised a troll cake and children's art contest. Organizers reported to the Department of Neighborhoods that the day was a success, with lots of community involvement and media coverage. Neighbors were stopping by every day to check on the troll's progress and take photos; the report noted that "the Arts Council's intent to create a focal point in the neighborhood that helps create a sense of place seems to be working already." With the help of community volunteers, the troll was completed later that year.
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