Madonna of the Trail

Dedicated in 1929, the Madonna of the Trail is one of twelve identical statues placed in twelve states by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The statues, differentiated by the inscriptions on their bases, commemorate the westward move of American civilization on a series of trails that eventually linked the country from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Placed along the “Old Trails Road” stretching from Maryland to California, they pay tribute to the importance of pioneer mothers. The statue was designed and sculpted by German-born architectural sculptor August Leimbach out of algonite. The Upland monument is a California Historical Landmark.

Upland, San Bernardino County
Images by Al Russell