My first nite in Lamar I had to go se the Madonna

The Hail you say....

Ok, so I thought I packed absolutely everything I would need for this week (except my husband and Bubba the Wonder Dog) ... and then again, I forgot my rain gear!

Check this out:  http://youtu.be/mTPEq-7d98g

This week in Lamar Colorado

I left my home in Greeley, Colorado about 10 a.m. this morning.  I live in the northern part of Colorado and our Madonna of the Trail is in southeastern Colorado, about a 4 1/2 hour drive!

I had a great drive.  We have big big skies in Colorado with cream-puff clouds.  Black-eyed Susans were in full bloom all along the sides of the roads.  I couldn't beleive how green everything was, considering mid-August is usually quite dry.  

I stopped at the Visitor's Center in Lamar and dropped off a banner for their windows.  Shortly after I checked into my hotel we had a gulley-washer - with quarter-sized hail!  Took a few videos of the rains (and now I know why its soooo green here)

The hailstorm in Lamar:   http://youtu.be/mTPEq-7d98g

    Leaving Greeley this morning

    Green fields of corn just south of Greeley

    Just outside Limon, Colorado, look at those clouds!

 

    Welcoming Center in Lamar, home of the Madonna of the Trail.

 

Eeeekkkk!!  I have a feeling I am going to have a week of bad hair days!  Glad I brought my DAR Visor! (I will be fashionable and not have to worry about the hair :))

The Lamar Ledger

Watch for our Ad this week in the Lamar Ledger!!! 

Her History

A recurring piece of public statuary stands in twelve locations from Maryland to California, tracing a historic travel route from covered wagon days. The statue is the Madonna of the Trail, an 18-foot-tall tribute to the pioneer mothers who traveled west with their crazy husbands.

The Madonna of the Trail is a pinkish, stony-faced pioneer Mom, in long dress and bonnet, strutting westward with a rifle on one arm, an infant on the other, and another little cruncher grasping Mom's skirt.

The Madonnas of the Trail were a project of the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution. They were erected in 1928-29, strung along the National Old Trails Road, now mostly US 40. The sites were chosen with the help of the president of the National Old Trails Road Association, a then-little-known Missouri Justice of the Peace named Harry S Truman.

Artist August Leimbach reportedly created the design in only three days (According to his grandson, he was later banished to Germany by the Americans and thrown in prison by the Russians). The poured algonite stone sculptures -- a mixture of crushed marble, Missouri granite, stone, cement and lead ore -- are identical. The historical info on the base of each varies from locale to locale.

Nearly all of the five-ton pioneer moms face west, although subsequent contsruction projects have repositioned some statues in other directions.

To properly honor the pioneer spirit, one should retrace the entire trail, and photograph all twelve cookie cutter statues. Or, with less honor, take twelve photos of one and say you saw 'em all...

1. Bethesda, Maryland

2. Beallsville, Pennsylvania

3. Wheeling, West Virginia

4. Springfield, Ohio

5. Richmond, Indiana

6. Vandalia, Illinois

7. Lexington, Missouri

8. Council Grove, Kansas

9. Lamar, Colorado

10. Albuquerque, New Mexico

11. Springerville, Arizona

12. Upland, California

www.roadsideamerica.com/story/28991

It's happening in just a week...

I will be traveling to Lamar in a week to photograph and video the repairs on the Madonna in Lamar, Colorado.  

The Colorado State Society is so fortunate to receive a matching grant from the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. 

Link for information on Special Projects Grants:  http://www.dar.org/natsociety/specialprojectsgrants.cfm

Date Change for the Rededication of the Madonna of the Trail

Please mark your calendars for a new date of November 23, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. for our Rededication Ceremony at the Madonna of the Trail in Lamar, Colorado. 

Rededication Ceremony set for November 2013

Mark your calendar for November 16, 2013 at 11:00 a.m.

for the Repairs and Restoration of the Madonna of the Trail

Rededication Ceremony.

 

Hope you can join us!

Tell me what the Madonna of the Trail means to you!

I'm getting really excited. The week of August 12 the work begins on our Madonna of the Trail in Lamar, Colorado. I've set up a blog, Facebook, and YouTube to keep you all up to date on our work (links are listed below)!  I hope to interview people like Anita Bishop, Kathy Self, the city of Lamar, the Chamber of Commerce, and anyone else who can tell me what the Madonna means to them.

So, here's your chance to tell me what the Madonna means to you!  Please please think about this, and respond with your comments!

 I'll tell you later my thoughts but right now I'm really looking forward hearing what you have to say.  Give  it a lititle thought- what does the DAR Madonna of the Trail Monument mean to you?

Looking forward to hearing from you

Chris Ruth
Madonna of the Trail, Lamar, Colorado
Email:        Madonna.trail.co@gmail.com
Blogger:     http://restoration-madonna-of-the-trail.blogspot.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/chris.ruth.5074
YouTube:   http://youtu.be/7e-95mZNdtc

Youtube

Repairs and Restoration of the Madonna of the Trail, Lamar, CO

live at: http://youtu.be/7e-95mZNdtc

100%

Help!!

Or should I say - - - Please share this blog with anyone you know!

As part of the requirements for the NSDAR Historic Preservation Grant the Colorado State Society received to repair the Madonna of the Trail we must use all types of medias to inform the public of this Historic Preservation Project!!!! 

Being a little "Over the Hill" ... I can say that I have been working on Facebook, Blogger, Youtube (although I'm finding that a bit challenging, but finally getting it)... so I was thinking (there I go again, thinking!) that I needed to ask every DAR I know to get the news out, to share our links, to ask friends and family to check out our project, to sign a young person up to monitor this project as a school project, anything to get the word out!!! 

I saw the coolest thing this weekend, a helicopter doing aerial spraying on crops - maybe the pilot would pull a banner behind his helicopter while he was spraying???  Well, I thought that might be a great idea, but on second thought, maybe not!!!

Anyway, I am asking everyone who sees our Blog to share it with others!!  I love history, but realize some may not, but at least our Social Media would be helping get the word out about a worthy project!

Toodles 'til later!!

Blogger:     http://restoration-madonna-of-the-trail.blogspot.com/
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/chris.ruth.5074
YouTube:   http://youtu.be/7e-95mZNdtc

Various DAR Chapters and State Societies own, maintain and operate historic sites across our country

These properties include: landmarks, buildings, homes, rooms, forests and cemeteries.

The DAR website features the DAR Historic Sites and Properties Database found at

www.dar.org/historicsites. This database includes all information needed to plan a visit to the properties.  The purpose of the database is to showcase the various historic DAR properties and to encourage the public to visit properties that are in their local communities.

The Daughters of the American Revolution is a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization. DAR members are dedicated to promoting historic preservation, education and patriotism in communities across the nation. All students are invited to participate and learn more about the educational programs the DAR offers. Educators, parents and students are encouraged to contact their local DAR chapters for more detailed information on these programs.
http://www.dar.org/historicsites/
 

I've been Thinking

For those of you who really know me, this can be scary, I know!!! But I've been active in the Daughters of the American Revolution for a few years. I served as Colorado State Historian - updating, digitizing and GPS'ing our Colorado Historical Markers.

After visiting alot of our Historical Markers placed in the state of Colorado, I realized not only is it important to mar...k and recognize these places in our state it is important to maintain those Historical Markers.

A special State Committee was formed and over the last two years, our big project has been to:

Write a NSDAR Historic Preservation Matching Grant for the "Repairs and Restoration of the Madonna of the Trail in Lamar, Colorado. My big sister helped me with the process of writing this grant and it was submitted to the NSDAR in January 2013, and awarded to the Colorado State Society in April of 2013.
 

 

Hi There! It's been a while.....

Good news - our contract is in, and am awaiting the dates for repairs...... either the week of August 12 or the 19th!!!  It's getting closer, so I'm brushing up on blogging and keeping you all posted with photos onYouTube!!!

Colorado is having a hot, windy summer so far, and I'm sure that Lamar will be warm in August! 

Happy Summer

Contract in Hand!

Just heard from Sohor Industries, and the contract is in their hands!  I'll know the dates for the repairs sometime next week. 

I'm really looking forward to being in Lamar while they are working on our Madonna.  Will take lots of pictures and videos!!

Also will keep you posted on the dates for the work . . . just in case anyone wants to take a mini-vacation to Lamar!