The Pioneer Mother Memorial is installed at Esther Short Park's north entrance, at the intersection of West 8th and Daniel Street in Vancouver, Washington. The park commemorates the pioneer woman and her husband Amos, who were among the first U.S. citizens to arrive in Fort Vancouver. Some sources say the memorial sculpture commemorates Esther Short specifically, while also " all the brave mothers of the frontier" who settled in the Pacific Northwest. Some sources say the sculpture's main female figure is Short herself, per the dedication ceremony's program. The sculpture was cast in Florence, Italy, where Fairbanks was working on his Guggenheim Fellowship. The memorial features a full-length bronze figure depicting a mother and three children. The woman wears traditional pioneer clothing, including a long dress, shawl, and shoes. She stands, facing forward, and holds a flintlock rifle in her proper right hand. The woman's opposite hand rests on the head of the taller of two girls at her proper left side. The taller girl holds the shorter one with her proper left hand, while the shorter girl faces the taller one and rests against the mother's proper left knee. A young boy clings to the mother's dress and leans against her rifle. The sculpture measures approximately × × and rests on a concrete and granite base that measures approximately × ×. Behind the figure group is a concrete backdrop. Its reverse side includes a bronze medallion with a bas-relief depicting a team of oxen pulling a covered wagon. The animals are led by a man, and an "anxious" woman and baby are in the wagon. A large barrel is attached to the wagon. The bottom of the medallion includes a relief of a cattle skull. The medallion has a diameter of approximately. The memorial includes several inscriptions. One by the woman's foot reads,. The medallion has two inscriptions: one below the wagon displays a copyright symbol and reads,, while another says,. On the concrete backdrop below the medallion is the signed inscription:.
History
The Pioneer Mother Memorial is one of Vancouver's oldest works of public art, acquired in 1928 and unveiled on July 21, 1929. Fairbanks attended the ceremony. The artist was commissioned to create the memorial by Vancouver banker Edward Crawford and his wife Ida, who donated $10,000 to its creation. The work was classified as needing treatment by the Smithsonian Institution's "Save Outdoor Sculpture!" program in May 1995. It was renovated as part of park improvement efforts around the start of the 21st century. The memorial is maintained by the City of Vancouver's Parks & Recreation department.
