Feed Store Mural

This is the only mural I've seen in my hometown.  It is painted on the side of a building at East Main and Market. It was painted by Carrie Finnestead  in 1995.  After a lot of legwork I learned that Carrie is the daughter of Jane Finnestead, a noted St. Louis antique dealer and realtor.  Jane was one of the consignors at what was then the Feed Store Antique Mall.   

Shortly after I moved to town the Feed Store Antique Mall went out if business. An auction was held to liquidate the overcrowded shop.  In fact, my dining table was purchased at that sale.  The building currently is home to the East Main Antiques store. 

Just a few weeks ago the local historical society erected the above plaque on the front of the building.

 The above photo is in the archives of the historical society.  It shows the building sometime around 1940. The current owner of the building believes this mural was painted to cover up the remains of the Dixon sign on the side of the building.   In the mural this building is shown as the Boland Feed Store and is the two story building on the left corner.    

All the buildings in the mural are historic buildings still in use today.  They are, however, scattered around the downtown area and not located in the order shown in the painting.  It also includes a riverboat on the Missouri River and the railroad tracks that run between Front St. and the river.   

Approximately twenty-six trains go through town each day.  Most of them are hauling coal to the electric power plant about ten miles down river.  Two years ago, the town limited   train whistles in the city limits, and I sure do miss them. Our river access is part of the downtown riverfront park area and it is the most used access point in the entire state, according to our historical society.  Because of that, we have a huge parking area that will accommodate at least 100 boat trailers.  The three flags in the mural fly on the riverfront overlooking the boat ramp and I posted a shot of them here a few weeks ago. 

The church is Saint Francis Borgia on Main Street at the edge of the downtown area.  The church was completed in the spring of 1846.   The three story building with all the windows is the Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cob Pipe Factory. It is the world's oldest continuously operating pipe factory and has been on the corner of Front and Cedar streets since 1869.  My daughter has been working at the pipe factory for several years.  

The yellow building is the old train depot and it sits across the street from the pipe factory. Until recently it housed a specialty food store and is now undergoing restoration.  It is possibly the oldest railroad depot of wooden frame construction  west of the Mississippi.  Completed in 1865.  It replaced the 1855 depot that was burned by General Stirling Price's raiders during the Civil War.   

The white building is the John Clayton Building located on Front Street across from the boat ramp.  John Clayton completing this building in 1838 as a store and Inn.  For many years it was a Bed and Breakfast  known as the Washington House.  The building is currently for sale and houses several small specialty stores.   

I am linking this post to Monday Murals