Back in the fifties, a farmer’s wife from Ohio with 11 children decided to take a hike on the Appalachian Trail. Little did she know she would become the first solo female hiker to trek the entire A.T. Now the legacy and influence of Emma Rowena Gatewood—better known in the outdoor world as Grandma Gatewood—will be honored with two life-size bronze statues.
Remarkably, Gatewood was 67 when she completed her first A.T. thru-hike in 1955. Also impressive, she hiked the trail with minimal gear. According to a press release from Ohio Valley Memory Gardens, which is spearheading the project: “There were no expensive backpacks or sleeping bags. Instead, she hung a homemade bag over her shoulder, which held a shower curtain and the rest of her gear. She wore plain sneakers and carried a simple stick for balance.”
Gatewood completed the A.T. again two years later, and she went on to hike the 2,000 miles of the Oregon Trail at the age of 71.
The statues of Gatewood, who passed away in 1973 at 85, will be done by Bridgette Mongeon, a Texas-based, internationally known clay and bronze sculptor, who was also chosen to work on the project due to her interest in the outdoors, as the organizer of a women’s hiking group in her home state. Production has started on the statues with plans to place one at Grandma Gatewood’s gravesite in Ohio Valley Memory Gardens. The project plans to install the second statue somewhere along the A.T. and is currently taking suggestions from the public on a location.
The project is currently seeking funding from donations and corporate sponsors to move forward. If you are able to help support or are seeking more information on the project visit https://grandmagatewood.com/
Cover Photo: Courtesy of sculptor Bridgette Mongeon
