Taft was a prominent Chicago-based sculptor with a national reputation for his monuments and fountains, including works designed for the 1893 Columbian Exposition.

He donated The Pioneers to Elmwood under the condition that the city pay for its casting and mounting.

The sculpture, which is 10 feet (3.0 m) tall and weighs 3,500 pounds (1,600 kg), depicts a pioneer family.

[2] The inscription below the statue reads: The sculpture was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 4, 2001.

This article about a property in Peoria County, Illinois on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.