Wednesday in Wyoming -- August 31, 2016

We've reached the end of the month and the end of our Rawlins Mural Tour.  What better way to finish the tour than with the largest grouping of art -- six pictures of the same subject, a wild stallion named Desert Dust.

While many of the murals were painted directly on the building, these are not, but are, as you can see, framed oil paintings.

I have to admit that I was saddened to learn that Desert Dust was eventually captured in 1945.  However, as the tour brochure assures us, wild horses can still be seen in the Red Desert west of Rawlins.

The Old West is still alive!

Wednesday in Wyoming -- August 24, 2016

Have you ever heard of Cattle Kate?  One of the more controversial characters in Carbon County history, she was lynched in 1889 for alleged cattle rustling.  But did she do it?  Historians believe she did not.

If you're interested in learning more about her, here's a link:
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-cattlekate.html

Not only was Cattle Kate a controversial person, but this portrait of her in the Rawlins Mural Tour created its own controversy, in part because of the style the artist used.

What do you think?  Do you like the mural?  And, if you read the story, do you believe Kate deserved to be hanged?

Wednesday in Wyoming -- August 17, 2016

Although most of the pictures in the Rawlins Mural Tour are outside, five pieces hang in the lobby of one of the city's banks.  All five, which are referred to as the Scoggin Collection, since they were painted by artist Bill Scoggin, feature the life of a cowboy.

And,  yes, that's the vault door you see in the lower left corner -- proof that the art is inside a bank.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- August 10, 2016

Carbon County, like much of the West, had its share out outlaws, including the notorious Big Nose George Parrot.

If you look closely, you'll see that this part of Rawlins' Mural Tour shows the stagecoach Big Nose robbed and the murder of  two deputies.  The upper right side leaves no doubt of Big Nose's fate: he was hanged.

Why are there shoes in the lower right side?  Don't cringe too much, but they were made from the outlaw's skin and wore worn for the inauguration of one of Wyoming's governors, Dr. John E. Osborne.

The shoes are currently on display at the Carbon County Museum in Rawlins.  And,  yes, I've seen them.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- August 3, 2016

Rawlins, Wyoming is noted for its Mural Tour, otherwise called "A Walk Through Carbon County History."  As you can guess from the name, the twelve murals that decorate the city feature different aspects of local history.

This one, very appropriately placed on the side of a building in the middle of town, is called "Historic Downtown" and shows what Rawlins looked like in the 1940s.  As you can see from the dumpster, although the mural may be historic, progress continues.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- July 29, 2015

The Mural Tour -- Part 5

Sheepherders played an important role in the history of Carbon County, where Rawlins is located.  Although I knew that sheep wagons, which some have described as the first campers, were a fixture in Wyoming, until I took the mural tour, I didn't know that James Candlish, a Rawlins blacksmith, is believed to have invented them.

Take a closer look.

The wagons include a bed area, a small table, cupboards and (as you can see from the chimney) a stove.  This was truly home on the range.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- July 22, 2015

The Mural Tour -- Part 4

Located on the side of a building, this mural -- or, to be more precise -- these four murals depict the challenges along the Mormon Trail, focusing on the Martin Handcart Company, which lost more than 150 pioneers in a devastating blizzard. 

Unlike the other murals, each of which had only one artist, this one has two: a mother and daughter team.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- July 15, 2015

The Mural Tour -- Part 3

According to the pamphlet describing the stops along Rawlins' mural tour, this is "a symbolic representation of the changes that occurred with the arrival of settlers in the West."  Obviously, other changes have occurred since the pamphlet was printed, and the mural is no longer visible. 

Despite the blank sign, I enjoyed seeing this small park across the street from the train depot.  Whether they were there as passengers or simply waiting for friends or family, I can imagine people looking at the clock to see how long it was before the next train would arrive. 

Wednesday in Wyoming -- July 8, 2015

The Mural Tour -- Part 2

We're going to continue our exploration of Rawlins' mural tour throughout July.  This mural is the first one you encounter as you enter town from the east.  As you can see, it's mounted on the side of a building.  But what are the objects in the mural?  Let's take a closer look.

This mural celebrates Thomas Edison's fishing trip to Battle Lake, approximately 70 miles south of Rawlins.  Who would have thought that a fishing trip would inspire the famous inventor?  That's exactly what happened.  While he was at Battle Lake, Edison paid particular attention to the fiber line on his fishing pole and later experimented with it as a filament for the incandescent light bulb. 

I've always said that inspiration can come at any time, and here's proof.

Wednesday in Wyoming -- July 1, 2015

The Mural Tour -- Part 1

How many towns do you know that have commissioned twelve murals to commemorate local history?  Rawlins did exactly that.

Although this isn't the first mural you encounter when you enter town from the east, it's the perfect one to welcome you to the mural tour.  As you can guess from the train cars in the background, this one's located at the train depot.  The holes instead of faces for the conductor as well as the mother and child give visitors a chance to become part of the giant postcard.  Note that the attention to detail includes those black mounting corners that so many of us have used to put pictures and postcards into scrapbooks. 

Have you ever had your picture taken by a sign similar to this?