The Cannery Row Monument

The Cannery Row Monument. Dedicated February 26, 2014. This Monument pays tribute to the many diverse characters vital to the evolution of Cannery Row. Perched atop the rocky outcropping sits Nobel Prize winning author John Steinbeck, who immortalized Cannery Row with his novel of the same name. He is surrounded by eight other figures, some reminiscent of Cannery Row's bustling sardines canning days, and other characters from a different time, whose great imagination transformed Cannery Row into the vibrant tourism destination it is today., At the base is Ed Ricketts, Steinbeck's good friend and one of the fathers of marine biology, who studied the sea life and tide pools of Monterey Bay. The figure of a Chinese fisherman is a reminder of the Chinese fishing village established in the mid-1800s on this very shore, which today borders one of the most beautiful marine sanctuaries in the world. The two female figures represent "Madam" Flora Woods, who made everybody happy and was known for her generosity, and one of her girls., The four "boys" sitting together were modeled after four entrepreneurs who embraced the rotting remnants of the canneries and dedicated themselves to the area's rebirth. Ted Balestreri, Bert Cutino, Harry Davidian and George Zarounian shared an ambitious vision for Cannery Roy and a deep affection for its inhabitants. They, in association with the Coniglio, Crispo, and Meyers families and Judge Ralph Drummond, brought Cannery Row back to life., Ted Balestreri, founding visionary and General Managing Partner of the Cannery Row Company, dreamed of a monument that would inspire visitors with the story of Cannery Row's history and importance in California’s past. First inhabited by Native Americans then settled by the Spanish, Monterey later became home to many Chinese, Italian, Portuguese, Mexican, Filipino, Norwegian, Scottish and Japanese immigrants, among others., Mr. Balestreri worked closely with sculptor Steven Whyte on the concept for the monument, which cements Whyte's global stature.