The Pioneers Monument, (sculpture).

The Pioneers Monument, (sculpture).

Happersberger, Frank, 1859-1932, sculptor.

Whyte, N. C., fabricator.

L. De Rome Foundry, founder.

The Pioneers Monument, (sculpture).

Pioneer Monument, (sculpture).

Lick Monument, (sculpture).

James Lick Monument, (sculpture).

Dedicated Nov. 29, 1894. Relocated summer 1993.

Sculpture: bronze; Base: granite.

Overall: approx. 47 x 44 x 62 ft. (820 tons).

(Artist's signature: on plinth below figure of Eureka) (On back of plinth for each sculpture grouping:) N.C. WHYTE & L. DeROME./FOUNDERS. S.F. CAL. 1894 (On plaque for Commerce:) F. Happersberger/Sculptor/San Francisco, CAL. (On plaque for Plenty:) WHYTE & DeROME/founders/San Francisco, CAL. (On bottom of column, in raised letters:) VALLEJO MARSHALL*SLOAT LARKIN*CABRILLO PORTOLA STOCKTON*CASTRO (Under plaques, in raised letters:) SUTTER LICK FREMONT 1850 DRAKE SERRA 1848 (Base, front:) DEDICATED TO CITY OF SAN FRANCISCO/ BY JAMES LICK (Base, back:) ERECTED IN 1894 (On back of figure groups, raised letters:) EARLY DAYS / IN 49 signed Founder's mark appears.

The monument consists of a center column topped with a woman, Eureka, representing California. She holds a shield and spear and is accompanied by the California bear. On the column below Eureka, there are four bronze reliefs depicting: "Crossing the Sierra," "Vaqueros Lassoing a Bull,"Trapper Trading Skins with Indians," and "California's Progress under American Rule." Two dates appear on the column: "1848" for the discovery of Gold and "1850" for California's admission into the Union. Around the bottom of the column are five portrait medallions of men in California's history: John Sutter, John Fremont, Sir Francis Drake, Father Juniper Serra, and James Lick. Below these portraits are the names: Vallejo, Larkin, Marshall, Castro, Stockton, Sloat, Portola, and Cabrillo. Extending from the column, on short piers, are two groups of allegorical figures representing Commerce (a woman in a boat) and Plenty (a woman in a horn of plenty). Two larger piers contain groupings of three figures each. One is titled "Early Days" and contains a missionary, a Native American, and a Vaquero. The other is titled "In '49'" and contains three gold miners

History -- United States -- California

History -- United States -- Westward Expansion

History -- United States -- Gold Rush

Figure female -- Full length

Allegory -- Place -- California

Allegory -- Quality -- Wealth

Allegory -- Other -- Trade

Portrait male -- Sutter, John

Portrait male -- Fremont, John

Portrait male -- Drake, Francis

Portrait male -- Serra, Juniper

Portrait male -- Lick, James

Figure group -- Male

Occupation -- Religion -- Missionary

Ethnic -- Indian

Occupation -- Industry -- Mining

Occupation -- Other -- Cowboy

Outdoor Sculpture -- California -- San Francisco

Administered by City and County of San Francisco, San Francisco Arts Commission, 25 Van Ness Avenue, Suite 240, San Francisco, California 94102

Located Fulton Street between Hyde & Larkin Streets, San Francisco, California

Formerly located Corner of Hyde, Grove, & Market Streets, San Francisco, California 94102 until summer 1993.

The monument was a gift of James Lick who set up a trust which provided $100,000 for bronze statuary representing figures in the history of California. When the cornerstone was laid on Sept. 10, 1894, a time capsule was placed beneath it. IAS files contain a list of the historical documents contained in the time capsule. In the summer of 1993, the monument was moved to clear the way for construction of the new San Francisco Main Library. The 1993 move restored the monument to its 1894 appearance as much as possible and placed it in the middle of the plaza in front of the new library. The monument was cleaned and conserved following its 1993 move. Inscription on nearby plaque reads: Gift of/James Lick/PIONEER 1847. IAS files contain draft versions for inscription plaques to be added to the monument.

IAS files contain an excerpt from The Foundation for San Francisco's Architectural Heritage Newsletter (Aug./Sept. 1993): pg. 4; a preliminary study, dated Oct. 29, 1991, by O'Brien-Kreitzberg & Associates, Inc. regarding the relocation of the Pioneer Monument; a detailed description of the stone used in the monument; a press release issued by the San Francisco Department of Public Works, June 1993, regarding the relocation of the Pioneer Monument; site plans for the new location; a Pioneer Monument fact sheet; and various photocopies of historical photographs of the monument. IAS files also contain the text of several newspaper articles: San Francisco Evening Bulletin, Sept. 11, 1894, pg. 6; and Nov. 29, 1894, pg. 1, 5; and the San Francisco Examiner, Nov. 28, 1894, pg. 8; Sept. 11, 1894, pg. 4; and June 30, 1993, pg. A-8.

Public Monument Conservation Project, 1986.

Save Outdoor Sculpture, California, San Francisco survey, 1993.

San Francisco Examiner, June 30, 1993, pg. A-8.

The information provided about this artwork was compiled as part of the Smithsonian American Art Museum's Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture database, designed to provide descriptive and location information on artworks by American artists in public and private collections worldwide.

Inventories of American Painting and Sculpture, Smithsonian American Art Museum, P.O. Box 37012, MRC 970, Washington, D.C. 20013-7012

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