Know Before You Go
Though the monuments are located close to Interstate 5, viewing them from the highway can, and has, caused many accidents. They can be safely viewed from the east via Camus Road, albeit from a slightly farther distance.
Toledo, Washington
Gospodor Monument Park
These memorials built by an eccentric bachelor on the side of Interstate 5 cause both wonder and traffic accidents.
Dominic Gospodor, a Seattle entrepreneur, began constructing the Gospodor Monument Park in 2002. Gospodor created the unusual roadside attraction to pay tribute to people he felt were under-acknowledged.
The monuments all stand atop enormous columns. The first monuments included memorials to Mother Teresa, Jesus Christ, and Holocaust victims. The park later expanded to include memorials to everyone from Susan B. Anthony to William Seward.
But though his intentions may have been good, the park has caused a fair share of harm. Ever since its construction, the monuments have been nothing but a thorn in the side of the local Lewis County government and the Washington State Patrol. Due to their location adjacent to Interstate 5, the monuments have caused severe traffic jams from motorists trying to catch a glimpse as they drive past, which over the years has lead to many accidents.
Gospodor died in 2010, and the monuments have fallen under the ownership of the Cowlitz Tribe. Without the funds necessary to maintain it, the park has fallen into disrepair. Plans to maintain the property and find a new owner have yet to produce any results.
