PRAIRIE QUEEN MURAL

Centralia has a rich history and the mural was painted to depict parts of it. Centralia was known as the Prairie Queen because of the vast prairie it was founded on. Our founding fathers commissioned an artist to record the best qualities of the ladies of Centralia. Those qualities were combined into one image and that drawing became known as the Prairie Queen. In the mural the Prairie Queen is opening the book of Centralia’s history. Central to Centralia’s history is the railroad. Pictured in the mural is the depot and a train. The stagecoach was also important to transportation as well as during the Civil War. The stagecoach in the mural is representing the events leading up to the the Centralia Massacre. Flags representing the North and South are both included in the images because Centralia’s population was divided during the Civil War. At the top is Adam Rodemyre the founder and editor of the Centralia Fireside Guard. Down front in the center is A.B. Chance with his first invention. That invention was the reverse handlebars. He did not receive a patent on that invention someone else beat him to it. Above A.B. Chance’s head is the old logo for the A.B. Chance Company he founded. Chance Gardens are included with the wishing well that it is so famous for. Many couples have been married in the gardens so an image of a couple marrying has been included. On the far left is the old water tower that has since been torn down. Under that image is an original city water and light truck. The young man carrying the boots is Rusty Bugg the gentlemen that actually drove that truck. In front of the truck is his sister Ruth. Of course on the right are several indian teepees representing those who were here before us. The mural was painted by Jim LeGrande and is located at the corner of Railroad and Allen.