Madonna Of the Trail

On a beautiful fall day, Oct. 26,1928 the Madonna of the Trail Statue was dedicated. At that time, the statue stood a few feet in front of the old state capitol. The 18 ft. Statue, made of pink Algonite, was erected by the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution to mark national trails created and used in this country's early years. The Vandalia Monument, one of the 12 Madonna's across the country, marks the terminus of the Old National Road, also known as the Cumberland Trail.
The monument is of "a pioneer mother as a symbol of the courage and faith of the women whose strength and love aided so greatly in conquering the wilderness and establishing permanent homes.
A parade was held which started 45 minutes before the dedication, featured processions from the west and from the east on Gallatin Street.. the two groups meeting in front of the statehouse.
From the west came dignitaries, Indians, outlaws, trappers and musicians. The Greenville Band headed the parade followed by a troop of Vandalia Boy Scouts, each carrying an American Flag. On the Columbia float, which came next, were Mrs. Allie Doyle as Columbia and W.E Allison as Uncle Sam. Attendants were Jean Schulte, Harriett Houston, Eleanor Stone, and Charlotte Sonnemann. Bobby Sharp was the driver.
Escorting the Columbia Float were four footmen in colonial attire. They were Verne Hamilton, Rollin Porter, Donald McKellar, and Cecil Volberg. Then came the "Spirit of 76" with Jake Sayles, Mark Perine, Joe Oliver and C.F. "Kid" Houston.
A stage coach was fronted by George Whiteman as bugler with L.E. Eicher as "Abe" Lincoln and C.F. Easterday as Stephen A. Douglas. W.E. Day took the part of General Lafayette. Attorneys were next in line prepared to ask important questions and decide the winner of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate. In the group were J.G. Burnside, J.H. Webb, George Houston, F.M. Guinn and John Hutchison.
Chief of the "Vandals" tribe was Dr. E. J. Bost in full Indian attire. Members of the tribe were O.F. Barkley, Don Conner, R.C. Emerick, Lowell Ewart, J.L. Gerkin, Joe Goodbrake, C.C. Janett, L.C. Lape, Jess Lakin, Leland Ray, Harry Rogier, Bert VanZandt and Kenneth Chandler. Indian squaws were Mrs. Florence Lauderdale, Miss Ellen Moore, Miss Elva Elam, Miss Mildred Wickersham, Mrs. Effie Blankenship, Miss Carrie Darner, Miss Jessie Craig, Miss Norma Crawford, Miss Edith Kaley, and Miss Hannah Griffith.
Accompanying a Log Cabin float was a band of "outlaws" carrying a variety of weapons. In this group were Charles Oglesby, Jake Hausmann, Art Buser, K.B. Mills, and L.E. Wilson.
A group of "trappers" included A.W. Todd, W.E. Miller, Harry Arnold, Leo Burtschi, Cecil Smith, William Oliver, and Jolly Coburn.
From the "east", crossing the Kaskaskia River with Charlie Manion's band leading the way, was H.B. Craycroft, captain of this section. There were representatives of the Civil War, followed by covered wagons with women and children representing the Ferdinand Ernst Colony, which arrived in Vandalia in 1819. Wagon drivers were T.P. "Polk" Atkinson, Bert Evans, Oris Eakin, C.N. Bennyhoff, Fred Hooker, F.J. Simma, F.M. Denny, C.J. Weidner, Ross Mallory and John Hawthorne.
Pioneer women in the schooners were Mrs. Carrie M. Leever, Miss Alice Feery, Miss Fern Goad, Miss Blanche Stewart, Miss Pearl Miller, Miss McGill, Mrs. Ara Ulrich, Miss Edna Bennyhoff and Miss Zelpha Young.
As the marchers arrived in front of the state house they assembled around the speaker's platform for the dedication ceremony. A group picture was taken of those in the parade.
A tin box, containing papers that will tell future generations what Vandalia was like in 1928, was placed in the base of the memorial at the time it was being erected. In that box was placed current copies of The Vandalia Union, the Vandalia Leader and Sunday editions of the Chicago Tribune and St. Louis Post Dispatch, programs of other dedications, the invitation of the D.A.R.to its chapters to attend the Madonna unveiling ceremony, the invitation sent out by the Chamber of Commerce, postal card scenes of Vandalia and a large map of the National Old Trails Road.
In the latter part of 1939 and early 40 the statehouse was remodeled to look the way it did during capital days. At that time, the Madonna was moved from in front of the building to the southwest corner of the square its present location.
Madonna underwent a cleaning and restoration in September 1990 and was rededicated by the NSDAR.
The above story was written by Charles W. Mills for the Vandalia Remembered 175th Celebration Book
LOCATION AND DEDICATION DATES OF THE TWELVE STATUES
OHIO, Springfield (4 July 1928)
Madonna In Springfield, Ohio
WEST VIRGINIA, Wheeling (7 July 1928)
KANSAS, Council Grove (7 September 1928)
Madonna in Council Grove, Kansas
MISSOURI, Lexington (17 September 1928)
Madonna in Lexington, Missouri
COLORADO, Lamar (24 September 1928)
NEW MEXICO, Albuquerque (27 September 1928)
ARIZONA, Springerville (29 September 1928)
ILLINOIS, Vandalia (26 October 1928)
INDIANA, Richmond (28 October 1928)
Madonna In Richmond, Indiana
PENNSYLVANIA, Washington County (8 December 1928)
CALIFORNIA, Upland (1 February 1929)
Madonna in Upland California
MARYLAND, Bethesda (week of 19 April 1929)
Madonna in Bethesda, Maryland

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