A new marker has been placed at Lexington’s Madonna of the Trail monument as a part of the America 250 initiative to honor the courage, sacrifice and vision of our Revolutionary War Patriots: “This marker commemorates the men and women who achieved American independence. These Patriots, each believing in the noble cause of liberty, fought valiantly to found a new nation, 1775-1783. Dedicated in 2026 by Missouri State Society Daughters of the American Revolution, in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States.”

Lexington is one of 12 communities in the United States honored with the Madonna of the Trail – one stands in each of the 12 states along the National Old Trails Road, reaching from Maryland to California. The idea for the Pioneer Mother monument began in 1909 when a group of Missouri women wanted to mark the Santa Fe Trail through their state. In 1910, sculptor August Leimbach came to America from Germany to visit his brother in St. Louis and decided to stay and work. He submitted his design for the statue and it was promptly accepted. He cast the statue of an amalgam of crushed granite, stone, marble, cement and lead. The Missouri granite gives the statue its rosy color to make it feel more alive. Each statue is 12 feet tall and weighs 5 tons. All 12 statues are exactly the same, but the words inscribed on the sides of each base vary by location. The front of the base below each statue reads: Madonna of the Trail, NSDAR Memorial to the Pioneer Mothers of the Covered Wagon Days.

NSDAR stands for National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

Lafayette-Lexington DAR member Susan Callaway recently completed her goal of visiting all 12. She says: “I recall as a child passing by ‘The Lady of the River’ imagining the courage of the pioneers who traveled that same trail. After joining the DAR, I turned that curiosity into a mission, embarking on a year-long adventure with my husband to visit each monument. It was interesting to see the different statues and why each location was chosen. We also experienced the breathtaking beauty of our country and its people that our patriots fought and died for. While each statue holds its own significance, ‘our’ Madonna stands out for her serene beauty. The upkeep of the monument and the grounds have been made possible by the loving care given by past and present Lafayette-Lexington DAR members.”

Each Pioneer Mother is looked after by her own community. The monuments, funded by contributions, were intended to provide a symbol of the courage and faith of these pioneer women, to honor their strength and love.

It was no small matter for a pioneer mother to undertake the hardships of the journey, to protect and care for her family heading into unknown territory, doing the best she could. The pioneer mother of the memorial wears a sunbonnet. She holds her baby in her left arm and a rifle in her right hand, with her older child clinging to her skirts. She shows determination, strength of character, beauty and gentleness.

Lexington’s Madonna of the Trail was dedicated on September 17, 1928. The keynote speaker that day was the young Harry Truman, then a Jackson County Judge.

Several members of the Lafayette-Lexington Chapter were present on Friday for the dedication, as were Lexington Mayor Tom Hughes and officers of the Missouri DAR.

“We placed the plaque at the Madonna of the Trail for America 250,” explained Esther Rosner, America 250 State Chair of the MSSDAR. “State Regent Lisa Parks chose to put the marker here. Three markers have now been placed by the Missouri DAR to honor places that are very important to us: our state headquarters at Roslyn Heights in Boonville; Cold Water Cemetery in Florissant; and the Madonna of the Trail in Lexington.”

In her dedication speech, State Regent Lisa Parks said: “Liberty is a sacred inheritance, and each generation must steward it with the same fidelity shown by others before us.”

Lexington’s Annie Durigan is Missouri’s Madonna of the Trail State Chair. At the dedication, she honored “our Revolutionary War Patriots, whose service to country and heroic sacrifices aided and advanced the cause of independence.” She noted, “Fidelity and integrity must guard always the heritage bequeathed by those who had everything to lose.”

The response read by those in attendance said: “History tells us that what is needed today is not just a show of greatness and a parade of power, but also dedication to great ideals and high endeavor.”

May we each honor those ideals as we celebrate America’s 250th this summer and throughout all the years to come.