In 2001 the Texas legislature proclaimed Breckenridge as the 'mural capital of Texas.' The murals were inspired by vintage photographs by Basil Clemons of the town in its heyday. They were wonderfully airbrushed by Billy Ines as a town beautification project in 1999.
This is how the main street looked in the 1920s when the oil boom changed Breckenridge's population from 1500 to 30,000 in 12 months.
Here is a whimsical one - the caption at the bottom says, "Down in Breckenridge, Texas, where horses ride Model 'T's.
Unfortunately this one is not fairing well on a west-facing wall. You can just make out the oil well and car theme. The previous one is completely under an awning and was in the best condition of them all.
You know I'm just making up these descriptions as I go, but I guess this one says that even with the oil boom, ranching was very important.
This was called 'Spirit of the Buckaroos', which we assume is the local football team. It had much more impact in person - you can just see the ghost football players in the picture.
Another one of the bustling town in 1923.
We found this pretty colored one in the city park. Seems to be a departure from the others, but was painted by the same man. Since the visitors center and museum were both closed, we really couldn't get all the details. We wouldn't have found as many as we did without the help of a nice lady in an antique store - one of the few that was open.
If you like murals (and who doesn't), our friends Donna and Bob found some fantastic ones in Lake Placid, Florida. To see them, click here
Wow, they are just beautiful. Will have to add Breckenridge to my list of "wanna see" places.
ReplyDeleteGreat job on your blog. I'll try to keep up with your travels. We are in Hondo now.
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