Evening star., 1928-09-09
OAR. TO PLACE 12 MONUMENTS
TO MARK NATIONAL OLD TRAILS
Glori6ed Motor Hig ghway Crossing Dozen
States Will Commemorate Road
of "Forty-Niners.

famous during gold rush days; Lamar.
Colo, another frontier town, and at
a point in California yet to be de-
termined.
The first monument was erected this
Spring in Springfield, Ohio. Another
was erected a short time later at
Wheeling. The monuments perpetuate
in granite the virtues of the frontier
wives and mothers. The figure is that
of pioneer mother. gun in hand, with
her children clustered about her skirts
for protection. On her countenance
is written the fortitude, perseverance
and energy of brave womanhood. The
face is one of beauty and of vigorous
character. A foundation nine feet
square is required to support the mas
sive sculpture. The foundation rises
2 feet above ground level. The base
proper is 6 feet high and weighs II
tons. The figure is 10 feet high and
weighs tons. The whole ensemble
will rise Is feet above the ground The
work is done in Missouri native granite
of warm pink shade.
Madonna of the Trail"
On the front of the base in small let
ters, will be the words. THE Madonna
of the Trail" The insignia of the Ma
tional Society. Daughters of the Ameri-
can Revolution. will come directly be-
meath this inscription. and below the IN
sigma will be written, National So
ciety, Daughters of the American Reyo-
luton Memorial to the Pioneer Mothers
of the Covered WAGON DAYS" On the
back of the base will be cut the words,
THE National Old Trails Road"
Each of the monuments will be in
scribed on the sides with historical data
of the Revolutionary period, or as early
history as may be recorded for the re-
spective localities.
The National Old Trails Road Asso-
citation, of which Judge Harry Truman
is president and Frank A. Davis secre-
tary, is assisting the Daughters OF the
American Revolution in erecting the
monuments. Mrs. John Trigg Moss Of
st. Louis. Mo-. is chairman of the COM
mittee in charge for the Daughters OF
the American Revolution.
Mrs. Moss. in reply to queries as to
why the d. A. r. became interested In
the highway project, states:
This road was built not by road en-
gineers, but marked out by the Indians
and the buffalo, their choice always be-
ing the quickest and best line of travel
"In olden times, day after day. year
after year. was heard the music of the
creaking wagon and lowing OK. The
mighty host of pioneers who crossed
this highway were armed not alone
with the rifle. but with the AK and
spade. They took with them not the
ammunition wagon and artillery, but
herds of live stock and bales of house
hold goods. implements of husbandry
their women and their children-evi-
dences and guarantees of future state
the earnest of permanent settlement
and the basis of an American home.
1.-The Daughters OF the American
Revolution long have interested them
selves in preserving all OF the State and
National highways. They are as sacred
to us as battlefields. They record the
steady triumph of peace. They were
built in order that the torch of Ameri-
can civilization might be carried into
the wilderness. The trails have not
come about by accident They are the
true index of the Nations progress, the
life history of a people.
THAT they are linked in complete
chain from ocean to ocean Is not mat
ter of chance. and each link represents
an epoch in the growth of this republic.
They are the autograph of a nation