Pioneer Mother

A short walk from the Spanish War Veterans Memorial is statue of the Pioneer Mother Memorial by Alexander Phimister Proctor. Commissioned by Howard Vanderslice in 1924 and presented to the city of Kansas City, Mo. in 1927, the figures depicted in the sculpture are Vanderslice family members, including Major Daniel Vanderslice, a veteran of Indian wars and an appointed agent to tribes in Missouri; his son Thomas J. Vanderslice with his wife and infant son, Howard Vanderslice, ca. 1853. This sculpture portrays Howard Vanderslice being carried as a baby to Kansas City.
To really appreciate this stunning sculpture, you need to park your car across the street from the Federal Reserve at 1 Memorial Drive and Wyandotte Street and walk the path to it. Too bad it is tucked away inside the park instead of near a busy intersection where it could be enjoyed by more people.