Chicago breaks ground on Mother Jones monument, the Loop's first honoring a historic woman

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Chicago has broken ground on the first downtown monument in its history dedicated to a historic woman. The 'We Shall Rise' memorial honors Mary Harris "Mother" Jones, the labor organizer who made the city her base.

The monument sits in a landscaped median where Wacker Drive, Wabash Avenue and Water Street meet, near the riverfront warehouses where Jones organized workers more than a century ago. The Chicago Monuments Project selected it as a signature commission in 2023.

The project followed a petition from more than 250 historians and $200,000 raised by the Mother Jones Heritage Project. Artists Kathleen Farrell and Kathleen Scarboro designed it.

Why it matters

A city's monuments tell passersby who it values, and downtown Chicago has never honored a real woman until now.

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Key Indicators

$200K

Raised by Mother Jones Heritage Project

Community fundraising that supported the monument commission.

250+

Historians who signed petition

Petition calling for recognition of Mother Jones in Chicago.

1st

Downtown monument to a historic woman

First in the Loop to honor a real woman in Chicago's history.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

Mary Harris "Mother" Jones

Labor organizer and subject of the monument

Deceased; buried in Union Miners Cemetery, Mt. Olive, Illinois

Brandon Johnson

Mayor of Chicago

In office; presided over the groundbreaking

Rosemary Feurer

Historian and leader of the Mother Jones Heritage Project

Led the campaign for the monument

Kathleen Farrell and Kathleen Scarboro

Artists of the monument

Commissioned artists

Brendan Reilly

Alderman, 42nd Ward (downtown Chicago)

Supported the project; spoke at groundbreaking

Organizations Involved

Mother Jones Heritage Project

Historical initiative

Co-led the monument campaign

Illinois-based initiative preserving working-class history through museums, historic markers, tours and public events.

Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)

City agency

City partner on the monument

The city agency that manages Chicago's public art program and partnered with the Heritage Project on the monument.

Chicago Monuments Project

City program

Selected the monument as a signature commission

City program that commissions and reviews public art in Chicago.

Timeline

1837 October 2026

5 events Latest: Yesterday

Tap a bar to jump to that date

October 2026
Groundbreaking ceremony held in the Loop
Latest Milestone

Mayor Johnson and Heritage Project break ground at Wacker, Wabash and Water streets.
Yesterday
2023
Monument selected as Monuments Project commission
Milestone

Chicago Monuments Project announces Mother Jones monument as a signature commission.
2023
November 1930
Mother Jones dies
Background

Dies at age 93; buried in Union Miners Cemetery, Mt. Olive, Illinois.
November 30th, 1930
1903
Jones leads child textile workers' march
Background

Leads 125-mile march from Philadelphia to Roosevelt's summer home to protest child labor.
1903
1837
Mother Jones is born in Cork, Ireland
Background

Mary Harris Jones is born during the potato famine era.
1837

Scenarios

Mother Jones Monument Unveiled by End of 2028

Likely Resolves by End of 2028

Discussed by: City officials and project organizers expect completion within a standard public art installation timeline.

Construction at the Wacker/Wabash/Water median proceeds without major issues. The monument is installed and unveiled at a public ceremony, likely in 2028. The city and Mother Jones Heritage Project mark the first downtown monument to a historic woman.

Fabrication or Permitting Delays Push Unveiling to 2029

Possible Resolves by Q2 2029

Discussed by: Public art projects routinely hit permitting, fabrication and weather-related delays.

Design adjustments, material sourcing, or utility work at the site push installation past the expected window. Construction continues, but passersby won't see the finished monument until 2029.

Monument Becomes Target of Vandalism or Removal Campaign

Unlikely Resolves by Q2 2029

Discussed by: Labor monuments have drawn both reverence and opposition; downtown public art is regularly targeted.

The monument is damaged or defaced, or faces a formal petition for removal or alteration. The city opens a review through the Monuments Project process, delaying or changing the final installation.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

1930s

Mother Jones Monument, Mt. Olive (1930s)

After Mother Jones died in 1930, the United Mine Workers buried her in the Union Miners Cemetery they had built for victims of the 1898 Battle of Virden. A monument now marks her grave in the small Illinois town.

Then

The grave became a pilgrimage site for union members who left buttons and tributes.

Now

For 95 years, the Mt. Olive grave was the primary memorial to Jones.

Why this matters now

The new downtown Chicago monument extends her memorialization from a rural cemetery to the center of a major city.

October 1898

Battle of Virden (1898)

Armed guards and striking coal miners clashed in Virden, Illinois, leaving 13 people dead and 30 wounded. Mother Jones called it the birthplace of rank-and-file unionism.

Then

The UMW built a cemetery for the fallen miners; it later became Mother Jones' resting place.

Now

The battle anchored Jones' connection to Illinois and the miners' movement.

Why this matters now

Jones' deep ties to Illinois labor history helped the monument project win support from more than 250 historians.