Sir Francis Drake statue removed in Marin County

MARIN COUNTY, Calif. (KGO) -- A 30-foot tall steel sculpture of Sir Francis Drake has been removed by crews near the Larkspur Ferry Terminal in Marin County.

The 30-foot tall steel sculpture was put up next to the terminal in 1990.

RELATED: Christopher Columbus, Queen Isabella statue removed from California State Capitol

A petition has been circulating to remove the statue in Larkspur of the British explorer because of his history of slave trading. There has been a similar movement to remove a statue of him in Plymouth, England.

Sir Francis Drake's name is widespread in Marin County, from the long boulevard that runs from the bay to the coast, to the high school in San Anselmo.

RELATED: Movement underway to erase Sir Francis Drake namesake, sculpture from Marin County

All of a sudden, the British explorer Sir Francis Drake has been getting a bad name. In Plymouth, England, there has been a movement to remove his statue - and now there is a similar drive to erase him from Marin County.