HICKORY, NC (September 20, 2018) — The City of Hickory’s “Historic Beginnings” mural has officially been added to the Appalachian Mural Trail.
“Historic Beginnings” is a 35 by 25 foot mural, located at 234 Union Square in Downtown Hickory, which depicts the City of Hickory’s historic beginnings. The mural features images of Piedmont Wagon, the Southern Railroad, Hickory Tavern, the Huffry Hotel, 1918 Union Square, and Hickory Manufacturing Company. In addition to historic scenes of early industries, four pioneers who helped build Hickory’s strong economic and community-spirited foundation are included. These faces are Alex A. Shuford, J. Alfred Moretz, Lester Clark Gifford, and Edmund Thomas Moore, Sr.
A project of the City of Hickory’s Public Art Commission (PAC), the mural painting was completed in September 2006 by Oregon artist Roger Cooke (1941-2012). During his lifetime, Cooke was sometimes called the “Johnny Appleseed of small town murals,” having produced more than 60 historic murals across the country.
Hickory residents and visitors are encouraged to snap a selfie with the mural in Downtown Hickory and upload it to the Appalachian Mural Trail’s selfie page at https://www.muraltrail.com/cgi-bin/upload-photo/view-selfies/. Individuals who do so will receive a free t-shirt saying “I hiked the Appalachian Mural Trail” and featuring images of murals.
The Appalachian Mural Trail was established in 2017 by co-founders, Doreyl Ammons Cain and her husband Jerry Cain. To learn more about the Appalachian Mural Trail, please visit https://www.muraltrail.com/. Information about Hickory’s “Historic Beginnings” mural can be found at https://www.muraltrail.com/cgi-bin/hickory-historic-mural/.
The Public Art Commission, an advisory group to the Hickory City Council, provides a forum for integrating public art into the public space, helps create a visual sense of the community, and provides leadership in implementing a public art program for Hickory.
For more information about the City of Hickory’s Public Art Commission, please visit http://www.hickorync.gov/content/public-art-commission or contact staff liaison and Library Director, Sarah Greene, at (828) 261-2275.