The Rotary Foundation's goal is that all murals have historical significance based on events in the Chillicothe area. Their goal is supported by Main Street Chillicothe, which is funded through CDC and the visitor's bureau.

The first mural is located at the northwest corner of Clay and Washington Streets, depicting the once-popular Graham's Mill Bridge. The second mural is located across from City Hall and depicts scenes from the Chillicothe Business College. The third is painted on the south side of the El Toro Restaurant and reflects scenes from downtown Chillicothe.

Along with each mural, there will be a short narrative explaining the mural and its connection to the community. The murals provide a pictorial record of our history. A committee has been formed to address the role of murals in Chillicothe and choose future projects. The committee consists of Main Street and Rotary Foundation personnel, members of the Grand River Historical Society, and other community members interested in the project.

A horse-drawn hose wagon dating back to the 1800s. A fast-paced record-setting fire department horse team from the early 1900s. A chain-driven fire truck from the 1920s. Visions of the past come alive through the painting of a fourth mural on the west side of the emergency services building in Chillicothe. The community's latest mural features three panels - all depicting the by-gone days of Chillicothe's fire department. Kelly Poling, owner of Original Artworks by Kelly in Chillicothe, is the artist for the project. The city, which owns the building, agreed to provide the money that would be necessary to have the building repainted, while the Rotary Foundation and CDC provided the funding necessary for having the mural painted. The city also provided the bucket truck for Poling to use while painting the mural. The mural is 81 feet wide and reaches 20 feet high in the center panel. The first panel features firefighters and two horses as well as fire hoses and other firefighting equipment from the late 1800s. The second panel includes the famous horse team of Dan and Joe, who were credited with holding a world record in the length of time it took them from the moment an alarm sounded to the moment they arrived at the fire. The third panel is a picture of Chillicothe's first fire truck which was a chain-driven model dating back to around 1920.

Railroads Theme for Historic Murals... A 40x65' mural depicting the old Milwaukee Depot now adorns the north wall of the office building at 708 Locust Street. Kelly Poling of Original Artworks by Kelly, created the mural. Along with the depot, the mural includes a horse-drawn trolley, a 1932 Ford, and a steam train. The trolley was used to carry people from the depot's station to the Chillicothe Business College.

Another mural - this one gracing the south wall of the building which houses JD's Auto Repair at 724 Locust Street - measures 14x50' and depicts old Burlington Northern No. 35. The logos of the four main train companies which operated out of Chillicothe years ago are also included in the artwork. The companies included Milwaukee Road, Burlington Northern, Wabash, and Northwestern Railway. The murals overlook the parking lot behind City Hall.

Chillicothe Business College Mural

Local artist Kelly Poling works on a mural on the north side of the building housing Wells Fargo Home Mortgage, Inc., at 710 Washington Street Wednesday, June 15, 2005. Once completed, the mural will depict the Chillicothe Business College campus.

To do the work, Poling is painting over a mural painted by another artist several years ago, which also depicted the college. Poling explained that the paint on the previous mural was faded, which is why the decision was made for another mural. When Poling is done, the wall will feature a 30-by-70-foot mural of the college campus as well as a 30-by-12-foot mural depicting the arch and bird fountain which was located in the college's park area. The project is being funded by Chillicothe Development Corporation, the Allen Moore family, and John Irvin, through the Mervyn W. Jenkins Foundation. This is the 10th mural in Chillicothe. C-T Photo/Laura Schuler

For more details and photos on the Downtown Murals, as well as a complete mural map, please visit Main Street Chillicothe.

Chillicothe Business College Marker

Moore Monument employees placed a marker designating the site of Chillicothe Business College Tuesday, August 30, 2005. This Chillicothe Business College historical marker, funded by the Rotary and Mervyn W. Jenkins foundations, will be dedicated at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30, at the corner of Springhill and Monroe streets.

This is the site where the college was established in 1890 and operated until 1952. The dedication ceremony is a public event and graduates of CBC are particularly encouraged to attend and be recognized. Former president of the college, Allen Moore, plans to attend. Following the dedication, the Grand River Historical Society Museum will be open for viewing of CBC memorabilia. Parking is available at Lambert Glove Factory or at United Methodist Church. The monument is six feet wide, five feet tall and six inches thick. C-T Photo/Laura Schuler

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