Sculpted for Marietta's Sesquicentennial by Gutzon Borglum, this tribute honored the farsighted pioneers who journeyed from New England in 1788 and established Marietta as the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory under the landmark Ordinance of 1787. It was dedicated in July 1938 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, rededicated in July 1988 at the closing ceremonies for Marietta's Bicentennial Celebration to the Sesquicentennial Pioneer Caravan and in memory of Edwin “Zeke” Pugh, a member of the 1937-1938 Caravan and leader of the 1987-1988 Bicentennial Trekkers, and restored as a Bicentennial project through contributions from school children in Marietta and Washington County along with support from numerous organizations.