The âMadonna of the Trailâ statue on the edge of Wheeling Park along Route 40 is hard to miss. It has become an icon in Wheeling and has been featured prominently on everything from welcome signs to tourism brochures.
The sculpture itself depicts a 10-foot tall, 19th century era, pioneer woman, holding a rifle in one hand and cradling an infant in the other with a young boy clutching her skirts. Her features are stern, almost traditionally masculine, and she is stepping forward boldlyâas if into her future in the West.
ButâŚmost people donât realize that Wheelingâs Madonna isnât the only statue of its kind. There are twelveâall across the United States.
In the early 20th century, the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (NSDAR) and the newly-created National Old Trails Road Association (NOTR) teamed up to designate and commemorate the National Old Trails Road. The commemorative road system stretches from Maryland to California and is largely made up of the National Road (Route 40) and the Santa Fe Trail. After the Industrial Revolution, travel by automobile was becoming more popular and accessible in the early 1900s, spurring a sense of nostalgia for the old trails and migration by covered wagon.
In honor of the American womenâpioneer womenâwho traveled west and built new lives along these trails, NSDAR and NOTR commissioned sculptor August Leimbach to create twelve identical Madonna of the Trial statues, one for each state the National Old Trails Road passed through. All of the statues were made out of a cost-effective algonite and installed between 1928 and 1929, each costing $1,000.
When it came time to choose the host town/city for West Virginiaâs Madonna of the Trail statueâthe choice was pretty simple. Since the National Road only passes through a very small section of West Virginia in Ohio County, Wheeling was the clear choice. Wheeling was also the western terminus of the National Road for several years before it was expanded into Ohio. Constructed between 1811 and 1834, the National Road (Route 40) was the first federally funded road that was created to access western territories; it reached Wheeling in 1818. Thousands of covered wagons and stagecoaches carried people, goods, and mail along the famous thoroughfare, including many Americans looking to start new lives and futures.
In addition to the requirement that the statue be located along the National Old Trails route (National Road), another criteria was that the location was (or near) a site of historical significance. Wheeling Park was a public space that was easily accessible and popular with Wheeling residents. It was also right down the road from the Shepherd Plantationâa site that has long played a role in the lore of National Road.
Kruger Street Toy and Train Museum, Kruger Street, Wheeling, WV, USA
Distance: 1.20 mi (straight line)
Museums and Interpretive Centers
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Wheeling, West Virginia, USA
Distance: 2.79 mi (straight line)
West Virginia Independence Hall, Market Street, Wheeling, WV, USA
Distance: 2.84 mi (straight line)
Museums and Interpretive Centers
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Victoria Theater, Market Street, Wheeling, WV, USA
Distance: 2.90 mi (straight line)
2200 Market St, Wheeling, West Virginia, USA
Distance: 2.92 mi (straight line)
Centre Market, Wheeling WV, Market Street, Wheeling, WV, USA
Distance: 2.92 mi (straight line)
Festivals and Events Food and Drinks Shopping
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Wheeling Artisan Center Shop, Main Street, Wheeling, WV, USA
Distance: 2.92 mi (straight line)
Heritage Port, Water Street, Wheeling, WV, USA
Distance: 3.04 mi (straight line)
Outdoor Experiences Viewpoints
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Wheeling Suspension Bridge, Wheeling, WV, USA
Distance: 3.21 mi (straight line)
Wheeling Suspension Bridge, Wheeling, WV, USA
Distance: 3.21 mi (straight line)
Mount Wood Overlook, Mount Wood Road, Wheeling, WV, USA
Distance: 3.28 mi (straight line)
Outdoor Experiences Viewpoints
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Martins Ferry, OH, USA
Distance: 4.03 mi (straight line)
Festivals and Events Fun and Sports
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410 Hanover Street, Martins Ferry, OH 43935, USA
Distance: 4.04 mi (straight line)
Deluxe Toy & Hobby, Hanover Street, Martins Ferry, OH, USA
Distance: 4.08 mi (straight line)
National Imperial Glass Museum, Belmont Street, Bellaire, OH, USA
Distance: 4.84 mi (straight line)
Galleries and Venues Museums and Interpretive Centers
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Great Stone Viaduct Historical Education Society, Union Street, Bellaire, OH, USA
Distance: 4.91 mi (straight line)
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