Laclede in Linn County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Statue of Gen. John J. Pershing

General John J. Pershing Boyhood Home State Historic Site

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 22, 2025

1. Statue of Gen. John J. Pershing Marker

Inscription.
This statue is a bronze, 10-foot tall heroic-scale image of Gen. John J. Pershing in full dress uniform, clutching a pair of gloves in his left hand. Carl Mose of St. Louis sculpted it and in 1957, Roman Bronze Works of Corona, New York, cast the piece.

In 1996, a generous gift from the National Military Order of the World Wars allowed for restoration of the statue. Rocky Renick Sullivan of Objects Conservation, Inc. of St. Louis completed the restoration. This statue represents the final years of the great man statues.

Thomas Carlyle formulated the “great man theory” in the 19th century which influenced the creation of great man statues.

Are great men born, or are they made?
As you walk these grounds, you will follow the life of John Pershing. Picture him growing up in his boyhood home, and imagine him teaching at Prairie Mound School. A life defined by great triumphs and tragedies led him from this town and far beyond Missouri.

Herbert Spencer theorized that great men are products of their time and social conditions.

[photo captions]
• General John J. Pershing
• Thomas Carlyle
• Herbert Spencer

Erected by Missouri State

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Parks and Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, Music • Patriots & Patriotism • War, World I. A significant historical year for this entry is 1957.

Location. 39° 47.297′ N, 93° 10.151′ W. Marker is in Laclede, Missouri, in Linn County. It is on Pershing Drive just north of Worlow Street, on the left when traveling north. The marker is beside the sidewalk, in front of the General John J. Pershing statue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1100 Pershing Drive, Laclede MO 64651, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Missouri. It is also in the American Midwest,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: John Joseph Pershing (a few steps

Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 22, 2025

2. Statue of Gen. John J. Pershing Marker

Looking west from Pershing Drive. The statue is the centerpiece of the memorial plaza behind the marker.

from this marker); General John J. Pershing Boyhood Home (a few steps from this marker); Boyhood Home (within shouting distance of this marker); Laclede (within shouting distance of this marker); Prairie Mound School (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different marker also named Laclede (about 600 feet away); a different marker also named Laclede (about 600 feet away); First World War Commemorative Garden (about 600 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Laclede.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. General John J. Pershing Statue

Also see . . .
1. Gen. John J. Pershing Boyhood Home State Historic Site (Wikipedia).

Excerpt: Gen. John J. Pershing Boyhood Home State Historic Site in Laclede, Missouri, is maintained by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources as a state historic site. General John Joseph "Jack" Pershing led the American Expeditionary Forces in World War I and attained the rank of General of the Armies. Pershing was born on a farm outside Laclede, but lived in the home from age six to adulthood. The historic site
Photographed by Cosmos Mariner, September 22, 2025

3. General John J. Pershing Statue
preserves and interprets the boyhood home and the one-room Prairie Mound School at which he taught for a year before attending West Point Military Academy. The garden features a Wall of Honor with the names of war veterans as well as a life-size statue of Pershing created in the 1950s by sculptor Carl Mose.

(Submitted on February 3, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. General John J. Pershing Memorial Sculpture (Smithsonian).

Excerpt: General John Joseph “Black Jack” Pershing depicted standing erect, in a slightly informal pose. He is wearing his World War I uniform, with his proper left hand holding gloves at his side. He wears a brimmed cap, short jacket with belt, and tall boots. Pershing stands on a two-tiered base, surrounded by a semicircle of six “Wall of Honor” tablets, inscribed with names of war veterans.
Commissioned Jan. 12, 1955. Installed 1957. Relocated July 10, 1968. Rededicated Oct. 20, 1968. Wall of Honor installed 1983.

(Submitted on February 3, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Credits. This page was last revised on February 3, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 30, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 71 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on February 3, 2026, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.