Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, is the female figure standing high atop the James Lick Pioneers Monument

The monument is located in the Civic Center Plaza between the Asian Art Museum and San Francisco's Main Library.  The state motto, Eureka, appears on her shield. Eureka is a Greek word that means "I have found it,". Eureka refers to the discovery of gold in California.  At the feet of Minerva, stands the California grizzly bear. A symbol of strength and independence, the grizzly bear is the Official State Animal and is the prominent feature on the California State Flag. Grizzly bears were, at one time, common in the state but the mass movement of people into California during the gold rush strained their habitat and caused their numbers to decline sharply. Today there are no wild grizzly bears left in California. For more on the Pioneers Monument: http://albionmonitor.net/free/whosehistory.html

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