Arizona participated in the Pioneer Mother Movement by receiving one of 12 identical Madonna of the Trail statues erected by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).
As most of the nation lost interest in pioneer monuments after World War II, the Daughters of Utah Pioneers gave Arizona its second pioneer woman statue.
The culture wars of the 1980s and 1990s saw increased interest in traditional pioneer monuments. Those in Prescott and Mesa included women, but focused on white men.
Recent statues provide stronger visions of Arizona women and are more ethnically inclusive. Several communities erected statues of Native women. Yet most of those still reinforced earlier narratives about whites displacing Indigenous peoples.
Drag the timeline to see the monuments erected over time.
Click on a marker on the timeline or the map to learn more about that monument.
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