There is already an excellent report on the Madonna of the Trail site in Bethesda, Maryland, posted on Atlas Obscura. This new entry reports on the Madonna in Richmond, Indiana, which is the second Atlas Obscura site submitted, the fifth of the twelve geographically from east to west, and the ninth of the twelve by dedication date.
The Madonna of the Trail is a series of twelve identical statues along the National Old Trail Road, running from Bethesda, Maryland, to Upland, California, now part of U.S. Route 40. The statues were commissioned by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution and sculpted by August Leimbach. They were dedicated between 1928 and 1929 to honor the role of pioneer women in the westward expansion of the United States. Before he became President of the United States, Harry S. Truman was a Missouri judge and president of the National Old Trail Road Association. Truman spoke at several of the dedication ceremonies, including the one in Richmond, Indiana.
The Madonna statue in Richmond is located in Glen Miller Park, named after a railroad executive in 1885 and not after the well-known big band leader Glenn Miller. The statue stands prominently on a small hill at the southwest entrance to the park. In addition to commemorating the spirit of pioneer women, it marks the site of Indiana’s first toll gate, established around 1850.