The Pioneer Mother Memorial

The Pioneer Mother Memorial
The memorial sculpture in 2013
The Pioneer Mother Memorial Location in Vancouver, Washington
Artist	Avard Fairbanks
Year	1928 (1928)
Type	Sculpture
Medium	Sculpture: Bronze Medallion: Bronze Base: Concrete, granite
Subject	Pioneer mother and children
Condition	Renovated c. 2000
Location	Vancouver, Washington, United States
Coordinates	45°37′37″N 122°40′30″W / 45.62708°N 122.674929°W / 45.62708; -122.674929Coordinates: 45°37′37″N 122°40′30″W / 45.62708°N 122.674929°W / 45.62708; -122.674929

The Pioneer Mother Memorial, also known as Pioneer Mother and Pioneer Mothers, is a 1928 bronze sculpture by American artist Avard Fairbanks, installed at Esther Short Park in Vancouver, Washington, in the United States. The memorial depicts a mother and three children, and commemorates pioneer mothers who settled in the Pacific Northwest. The main female figure may depict Esther Short, one of the first U.S. citizens to arrive in Fort Vancouver. Commissioned by Vancouver banker Edward Crawford and his wife Ida for $10,000, it is one of the city's oldest works of public art, acquired in 1928 and unveiled in 1929. The sculpture was renovated around the start of the 21st century and is maintained by the City of Vancouver's Parks & Recreation department.

The Pioneer Mother Memorial is installed at Esther Short Park's north entrance, at the intersection of West 8th and Daniel Street (between Columbia and Esther Streets) in Vancouver, Washington. The park commemorates the pioneer woman and her husband Amos, who were among the first U.S. citizens to arrive in Fort Vancouver. Some sources say the memorial sculpture commemorates Esther Short specifically, while also "[typifying] all the brave mothers of the frontier" who settled in the Pacific Northwest. Some sources say the sculpture's main female figure is Short herself, per the dedication ceremony's program. The sculpture was cast in Florence, Italy, where Fairbanks was working on his Guggenheim Fellowship.

The memorial features a full-length bronze figure depicting a mother and three children. The woman wears traditional pioneer clothing, including a long dress, shawl, and shoes. She stands, facing forward, and holds a flintlock rifle in her proper right hand. The woman's opposite hand rests on the head of the taller of two girls at her proper left side. The taller girl holds the shorter one with her proper left hand, while the shorter girl faces the taller one and rests against the mother's proper left knee. A young boy clings to the mother's dress and leans against her rifle. The sculpture measures approximately 7 feet (2.1 m) × 3 feet (0.91 m) × 21 inches (53 cm) and rests on a concrete and granite base that measures approximately 102 inches (2.6 m) × 18 feet (5.5 m) × 15 feet (4.6 m).