"The installation did not meet current Transportation Art Program requirements and had been a frequent target of graffiti and vandalism," Jeneane Crawford, a spokesperson for Caltrans District 4, told SFGATE in an email. The statue's removal in August alongside the freeway that's also named for Serra attracted little attention initially. But in recent weeks, social media users have wondered where it went. Caltrans said that the statue had been "evaluated for eligibility in the California Register of Historical Resource" but was deemed ineligible. There are currently no plans to replace the statue with any other artwork.
Founded in the early 1830s, the town initially served as a key river port. Long before that, the land was home to the Potawatomi and Winnebago tribes, whose connection to the area can still be felt. Public art installations and interpretive signage across the town honor its Indigenous history and serve as a quiet tribute to the region's first peoples.
The exhibition features a large map of San Francisco that identifies 35 city street names and 10 statues and monuments that commemorate historical figures involved in the genocide of American Indians.