The Spirit Lake Massacre occurred in March 1857, when a war party from the Santee Sioux Native American tribe raided an American pioneer settlement near modern-day Arnolds Park, Iowa. Before the attack, the settlement was home to 40 pioneers. Only four of the settlers survived the massacre. In 1895, the U.S. government erected a granite obelisk at the site of the massacre in memory of the settlers who were killed. The monument is 55 feet tall and in a grove of trees.
The Soldiers, Sailors and Pioneers Monument is in the heart of the Hamilton Historic Civic Center in Hamilton, Ohio. This Butler County monument is approximately 100 feet tall and features two large stained glass windows on both sides. On top of the monument is a rotunda structure with a statue, "Victory, the Jewel of the Soul Statue," which is a rendering of a Union Civil War soldier. The interior of the monument has marble walls with the names of pioneers and Civil War soldiers inscribed on them.
Located in Seaside, Oregon, the End of the Trail Lewis and Clark Commemorative Site marks the end of the cross-country journey of Lewis and Clark. The expedition led the duo and their party from Independence, Missouri, to the Pacific Coast of modern-day Oregon. The members of their party included Sacajawea, a Native American guide, and Seaman, Lewis' Newfoundland dog. The bronze statue at the Commemorative Site was built in 1990 and features Lewis, Clark and Seaman looking out to the Pacific Ocean.
Homestead National Monument of America is in Gage County, Nebraska, less than 30 minutes from the town of Beatrice. Within the Monument are some of the first acreage claimed by pioneers from the Homestead Act of 1862. This act permitted pioneers to claim up to 160 acres of land in order to settle undeveloped the American frontier. Other attractions at the Monument include a 100-acre plot of wild prairie, the one-room Freeman School -- built in 1872 -- and the 1867 Palmer-Epard Cabin.
California's Donner Memorial State Park features the Pioneer Monument, which is approximately 30 feet tall. The base of the statue is made of stone, while the bronze statue is a rendering of an American pioneer family. This statue was built in honor members of the Donner Party who lost their lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains due to harsh winter conditions in 1846 and 1847. Before the winter, the Donner Party only had 87 members; only 48 survived the winter.