San Angelo Murals

Historic Murals of San Angelo

I’m going to tell you a story that would make a great day trip for any age group.  I have a ‘thing’ about daytrips in different parts of Texas from climbing the storied Enchanted Rock to kayaking down the Spring Creek near my home in Sherwood about 20 miles outside of San Angelo.  I’m of the Socratic mindset that “an unexamined life is not worth living,” and I consider life’s little adventures add to the quality, if not the quantity of one’s life.  Such little adventures just make life more interesting to me.

We’ve written often here about events in Austin, Dallas, Galveston, and points in between, but we haven’t written yet about historic murals right in our back yard of San Angelo. This “little adventure” would make an excellent day trip for anyone interested in art or history or Texas History.   Since my family members and I have been involved in the newspaper business in and around San Angelo for over 112 years, I am often attracted to historic art, photos, and information of the area.

I have good friends who are serious artists and my respect for them and their talent is immense.  One of my artist friends is as likely to walk into a wall while he is taking notes and photographs as he is to watch where he is going.  He is really focused on his art. I doubt he owns a TV or a computer, but instead actually spends time reading and working as the inspiration comes to him.

Ramona and I have driven around in San Angelo admiring the murals and taking photos of them, but I really didn’t know the full story.  A friend of ours named Sarah had asked if we knew anything about the historic murals project.  I told her I had taken photos of every one of them, but did not really know much more than that.  The murals project was always something I was going to learn more about, but never did.

I decided it was time for a much closer look.

I came away with a huge appreciation of the time and efforts that have gone into this very worthwhile project.  As is often the case for any project of importance, it all started with a vision of an individual.   It seems the power of  a single idea is alive and well even in West Texas.  Susan Morris came to San Angelo and in 1997 became involved in the community.  Her experience was in the development of historic murals and she proposed a plan to revitalize and improve the downtown area of San Angelo by having murals painted that depicted early scenes of West Texas and San Angelo.

The first mural is called the History of Transportation in San Angelo and the first mural had the backing of 16 individuals who were generous enough to get the project started.  I have to admit that I have observed time and time again when an idea is powerful enough, it will attract whatever it needs to become a reality.  I know of several projects around San Angelo from musicals, to art, to songwriting that have enormous potential to become powerful ambassadors for the San Angelo and West Texas community that simply began in the minds of some very determined, passionate, and talented individuals.  It must be something in the limestone infused Concho watershed waters out here that produces such individuals who have such a ‘can do’ attitude.

After all, this is the part of Texas I often refer to as Real Texas.  It’s as much a state of mind as it is a destination.  It’s this part of the Great State that is the epitome of self sufficiency, make things happen mindset, and the attitude if you are big enough to dream it, you’re big enough to do it.  Those of us with deep roots to Real Texas know instinctively what I’m talking about and those who have chosen this part of the Great State as their own have learned quickly enough.

The first Historic Mural in San Angelo depicts the History of Transportation and it became a reality in 2002.  The mural depicts a Stage Coach probably of the Butterfield Line racing through the countryside.  Settlers first started arriving in the Concho River areas around 1849 and a stage route soon was the primary means of transportation for many early settlers traveling West.

Here’s a daytrip feature for you…Here’s one feature that makes the murals of San Angelo come alive.  At each location, there is a phone number you can call to learn the history behind the mural.  Go ahead and call this number – 1-325-201-9037 –  and enter 3 followed by the # sign on your cell phone.  You can also call that number from your home phone wherever you happen to be reading this article.   It will give the story behind the mural.  There is a short story on each of the murals you can listen to and learn.  At the Stagecoach mural, you might be surprised to learn than an early stagecoach driver named Charlie Parker who spat, cussed, drank, and caroused with the best of the other driver’s, died unexpectedly.  The doctor who attended the death was shocked to discover that Charlie the stagecoach driver was actually a woman!

As you can see from Mural #4, it is quite large at 107′ long and depicts several scenes from West Texas from wool and mohair production to the gusher Santa Rita No. 1 near Big Lake, to a sheepherder and his dog.  Click here to listen to an audio file that tells the story of this mural.  Find the audio button and click on it to hear the story.  Murals such as this connect with a whole cross section of native West Texans and Texans who now live around the world.  In the background is the San Anglo icon, The Cactus Hotel which is several blocks away from this location on the corner of W. Beauregard and S. Randolph near downtown.

My artist friend has studied art in New York and overseas and can discuss the mechanics of art with the best of them.  I however, can only begin to appreciate that the prep work involved is tremendous before the artist ever touches the large canvas of the wall of a building.  And if a mural is to last very long out here in West Texas, the materials used must be of the most durable and highest quality available….on the planet.  According to the website Historic Murals of San Angelo, the paint is indeed of the highest quality:

  Our artists use KEIM Royalan paint, a potassium silicate paint, brought in from Germany. It is used around the world for masonry painting of buildings and murals. KEIM Mineral Systems was developed in Germany in 1887 and has been in continuous production since that time. Murals you see on buildings throughout Europe were painted with KEIM in the 1800’s and are still beautiful today. Historic Murals of San Angelo, Inc. made the decision to use this paint because we wanted the time, effort, and money invested in producing these murals to assure they will be here for many years to come.

This foresight will allow many future generations know that this area was settled by a hardy race of individuals who worked hard and prospered.

So, there you have it.  You can make a nice little day trip out of a visit to the Historic Murals of San Angelo.  You will come away with a new appreciation for art, local history, and the presentations that are readily available by listening in on your cell phone as you visit each mural location and stand right in front of them.  For a file of where the murals are located around town, click here and you will be directed to the guide-by-cell page where you can download and print out a location guide.

You can also participate in a big way or a small way by donating to the Historic Murals of San Angelo project.  Find the donate button on their website and you can help with more murals or in their current lighting of the murals phase.  Donations can also be sent to HMSA at P.O.Box 61402, San Angelo, TX 76906.

Plan your day trip to visit the San Angelo Historic Murals, learn a little history, and live an examined life.

Since Real Texas Blog has a large readership across the Great State, if you have a day trip near where you live, I would love to hear about it.  You can certainly submit a guest post and tell us all about it.

I’m David out here in Real Texas

Enjoying an examined life….

Tagged as: historic murals of San Angelo, murals, Texas Lifestyle, Texas murals