Aug. 21, 1939: Charles Owens and Joe Seewerker visit "The Madonna of the Trail" at Route 66 (now Foothill Boulevard) and Euclid in Upland. The Daughters of the American Revolution placed 12 of these identical statues across the United States in the late 1920s.

"The Madonna of the Trail" was unveiled during a large celebration on Feb. 2, 1929. The parade featured quite a few pioneers, including E.R. Eames of Pasadena, who came to California in an ox cart.

These monumental statues were meant to venerate the pioneer spirit, but today, some people view them as the worst sort of 1920s Americana kitsch that romanticizes the role of women and diminishes their contributions to history. I think they make an interesting argument. Whatever your opinion, it's clear Upland has changed since 1939.