Pioneer Mother Monument Golden Gate Park, 2. Editorial Photo

When William Hammond Hall, and his successor John Mclaren were building Golden Gate Park, they both did not want any statues in their park, they would take away from the parks natural beauty.Never mind; 150 years later we now have some three dozen statues, including one life sized one of McLaren himself, in The Park.Of all those statues, there is only one depicting a woman: Pioneer Mother. When Pioneer Mother was being built, initially for the 1915 Pan-Pacific Exposition, it caused a great deal of controversy, both in how she was dressed, and how her children were left undressed. Built by Charles Grafly, he dressed the mother as most Americans thought the Pioneer woman did dress, true or not. And the children represent the future. The Pioneer Mother can be found in Pioneer Grove, near the log cabin.