Pioneer Monument (San Francisco) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Pioneer Monument

The monument in 2013
Location	Fulton Street between Hyde and Larkin Streets Civic Center, San Francisco, California
Designer	Frank Happersberger
Completion date	1894

The Pioneer Monument is a tall, impressive statue in San Francisco, California. It's made of strong granite stone and features many bronze figures and detailed carvings called bas reliefs. A famous artist named Frank Happersberger created it. The money for the monument came from the will of a generous man named James Lick. You can find it on Fulton Street, right in the heart of San Francisco's Civic Center. It was officially opened to the public on November 29, 1894.

Exploring the Monument's Design

The main part of the monument is a tall column. On top of this column stands a large female figure. She represents California and is shown as Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and war.

Around the column, there are four bronze carvings called reliefs. These carvings show different parts of California's early history:

• "Crossing the Sierra"
• "Vaqueros Lassoing a Bull"
• "Trapper Trading Skins with Indians"
• "California's Progress under American Rule"

You can also see small round portraits, called medallions, of important people from California's past. These include Sir Francis Drake, John Sutter, John Fremont, Father Junipero Serra, and James Lick, who paid for the monument.

At the base of the column, there are four large sculptures. Two of these are female figures that represent ideas:

• Commerce (meaning trade and business)
• Plenty (meaning lots of good things, like food and resources)

The other two sculptures show groups of three figures. One group is called "In '49'". It celebrates the California Gold Rush and shows three gold miners. The other group was originally called "Early Days". It showed a missionary, a Native American, and a vaquero (a cowboy). However, this sculpture was removed in September 2018. Many people felt it showed Native Americans in a way that was not respectful or accurate.

The Monument's Story

The idea for the Pioneer Monument came from James Lick, a wealthy businessman. In his will, he set aside money to create a statue. He wanted this statue to show the history of California. It was meant to cover three main periods:

• From the early Spanish missions until California became part of the United States.
• From when California joined the U.S. until farming became very important.
• From that time until January 1, 1874.

Plaque added in 1994

In 1890, a group of trustees chose the design by sculptor Frank Happersberger. The building of the monument began in May 1894. The first stone was laid and the statues were officially dedicated on September 10, 1894. This happened at Marshall Square, which was near the old City Hall. The old City Hall was later destroyed by the big earthquake of 1906.

In 1991, there was a plan to move the monument. It was in a busy area, surrounded by a parking lot and restaurants. Some people wanted to keep it where it was because it marked the spot of the old City Hall. However, Native American groups wanted the statue removed completely. They said the "Early Days" sculpture was offensive. They felt it showed their people as less important and celebrated their conquest. They also pointed out that the Native American figure looked like a Plains Indian, not a local tribe from San Francisco.

Because of these concerns, the "Early Days" sculpture was taken down on September 14, 2018. It was removed quietly in the early morning.

Later in 1991, the main monument was moved one block. Workers used twenty strong steel beams to carefully transport it. It now stands in the middle of Fulton Street, between the old and new libraries. In 1996, a brass plaque was added to the monument. This plaque helps explain the important role of Native Americans in California's history.

Images for kids

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  South pier: Commerce

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  North pier: Plenty

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  West pier: In "49"

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  East pier: Early Days, which was removed in September 2018.

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  "California Cornucopia of the World"

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  James Lick