digriz- I agree good points. It should be CORRECT.
"I suppose they should renovate the Tallman House by putting vinyl siding on it, right?"

this reminds me of the All in the family episode where he was convinced to put siding over his brick house.
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I hope that does not refer to me, wesgonsin. I live in a bunch of shipping containers all welded together and made into individual "living" areas approximately 6587 miles from Janesville.

I could, if I wanted to, sit here and argue the finer points of life with a guy that lives in a van down by the river. But you know what? I'm not going to that place.

Thanks, G-Fan.
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I hope the 1860-1870 Mural, if there is one, shows a background of woolens mills. That was Janesville's main industry until after the turn of the century, with businesses like Wheeler and Sons, McClean Woolens, Laurence and Atwood, and Stone Mill, some of which were located at Monterey.. (and people think Monterey Mills is modern...), creating employment for many of Janesville's citizens. The significance of railroads (as shown in a mural) in Janesville's history during the highlighted time periods is only significant because the trains came into Janesville to transport products from the many mills, which is the REAL history of Janesville, not the method of transport.
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The first word on each mural is "History." Let's focus the murals on that in the future, please? It's nice that Abraham Lincoln slept here, but does that singular event define who we are as "Janesvillians," or why the city is here in the first place?

DiGriz, you're making valid points.

LOL!!!
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Well then, the artist should have just painted a 1957 Chevy into the background, and a cell phone hanging from his belt, too.
Historical accuracy is important. Better to teach something right the first time, than to make someone un-learn it later. I suppose they should renovate the Tallman House by putting vinyl siding on it, right?
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The color of the river in the one mural is also wrong. Should be brown/green. The Rock was never blue.... Looks nice, however.
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An old friend of mine, Keith Rocco, who painted the display murals at the Veterans Museum in Madison, spent a year researching military equipment, etc., to make sure he had it historically correct before he started painting. I think it's a pity that this artist paid no attention to historical accuracy, especially when there is cost involved, donated or not.

Someone tried to do something nice for The City, and we get the frigging History Detectives picking it apart every step of the way.

Let's just paint it over because the guy in the picture is wearing glasses and a belt. Jesus, put your anal retentive attitude down for a nap.

Historical Problems with 1850-1860 Mural:
1. Same as 1830-1840, belts were not used during this time period, suspenders were.
2. Second "ghost" is wearing glasses. Glasses were not worn except to read during this time period.

This is a very well written article. Very informative. Straight to to point with zero rhetoric. Hope to read more like it in the future.

Hmmmmmmmmm.. Come to think of it, the next thing you know, the City Council will be looking for 5.7 million dollars to build an Art Museum downtown....

Problems with the 1830-1840 Mural...
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1. Appears to be wearing jeans. They were not invented/marketed until the 1870's, and when they were, they had suspender buttons, not belt loops.
2. See above. Suspenders were used in that time period, not belts.
3. A bleached-white shirt was not typical of the period, either, and certainly not that style. It would have had a button-closure neck opening, since shirts like the one he's wearing were not manufactured like that then.

"But in the larger scheme, it's not much of an artistic statement. There's nothing bold or visionary here, just a safe and obvious expression." Sorry, but is kind of like your screenname. Mr. "Favrely"

tjncj- sorry I cannot ever remember which road it is. I know that would be way easier to explain. The mural is on the second story of the building. Maybe it is a sun not a moon. It seems very modern looking to me.

Hannah's 1:50 post.

"I am still wondering the story of the mural on the side of a building that is off milwuakee st to the right if youre traveling down.....

It reminds me of that old country song....

"Who is the girl wearing nothing but a smile and a towel in the picture on the billboard in the field near the big old highway......"

I wonder if the guy on the 1830-40 mural is free for dinner tonight?

I am still wondering the story of the mural on the side of a building that is off milwuakee st to the right if youre traveling down to the down town from milton av. it is a moon or something. I wish they would touch it up. My guess it is over 38 yrs old cause I remember it as a kid.

I am a little upset that this projects costs over 60k and theyre supposed to last only 7 years. I thought raido spot said 10 years but still.

Justme46 and janesvillean...
I agree this project is a step up and improves the downtown environment. But in the larger scheme, it's not much of an artistic statement. There's nothing bold or visionary here, just a safe and obvious expression. I just wish this city could step outside of itself and think at least a few yards past the city limits . Public murals should be held to higher standards because they speak for ALL of us and drill indelible impressions in the minds of visitors.

Even Omaha, a Midwest Whiteopia of epic proportions, managed to include some gender and racial balance in a mural project that strived for many of the same historical and visual objectives. Check it out:
http://www.heritagepreservation.org/RPM/...

Gee, what else can everyone complain about? I agree with Pete (which is unreal)! Sorry, Pete. But they are going to look nice. Downtown is maybe taking a step up instead of down. I would rather be downtown than on Milton Avenue.

favrely, you have a small point. Perhaps two of the most famous persons associated with Janesville are women -- Frances Willard (her school house is shown, inaccurately) and Carrie Jacobs Bond. Additionally, the pioneering black surgeon Daniel Hale Williams began his medical education here. It is, however, true that Janesville has had very little social contribution from non-whites, with a white population of 99% as recently as the 1960s. There has never been a (significant) black neighborhood, a black church, or a black social club, so far as I am aware. This is ironic because Janesville and Rock County were hotbeds of abolitionism and enrolled hundreds in the Union Army. Even Native Americans had a limited presence here; it was largely seasonal hunting territory with no permanent villages.
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Still, it's a shame we celebrate these generic images instead of the real personalities tied to our city.

This is a fantastic mural of a teleprompter. Wait. What?

Pete, if you look above the comment box you enter your message into, there is a list of bullet points. One of them states:

Stay focused. Keep on the story's topic.

Yet again, you're off topic. Murals Pete...MURALS. Not public speaking, not Obama or Clinton, MUUURRRRALS.

If you can't stay on topic, maybe you should refrain from commenting and go back to ronald-reagan-quotes.com

I admire the effort, but the subject matter and execution of the artwork seems a little tired and trite. A visitor to downtown will be left with the impression that white men have done nearly everything in Janesville. The contribution of women and non-whites is an asterisk. Is this just a big rah-rah for our current residents, or should we try to convey something meaningful to a broader audience?

Also, the tone of the artwork feels more at home within the Rock County Historical Society. This collection does nothing to convey a sense of hope, vitality and optimism for the future. It's a nice little exercise in nostalgia, but I'll be sick of it in a month.

Sure Lost City.....possibly with a tag line that reads "Unity" with an image of the workers striking outside of the plant?

Beloit has similar murals on the Ironworks facility. They look incredible when lit at night......

Are the going to put up a GM banner?

Fox News is good news!

Pete... Go watch FOX news...

pete do you ever stay focused on the subject, without bringing up some form of politics?

I'd like to rephrase my "Obama is the man" comment...Here goes: "Pete you're the man"

OMG!! artxette you've got to KIDDING!

It doesn't matter, Pete. Obama could out-speak Reagan with his eyes closed. He don't need no stinkin' teleprompter. He's the man. Get used to it.

Very nice job! Thank you to everyone who took a part in this.

Very cool!

Here are a couple more quotes that are pretty good. Not good in the sense that they would belong on these lovely murals, but good nonetheless. Great touch on the murals--something all of Janesville can be proud of.

"...Too many OBGYN’s aren’t able to practice their, their love with women all across the country."

"Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning."

--George W. Bush

Really, Pete? I'm glad you see it that way. I actually thought I was going to see you whining about tax money on this page for some reason.

Thanks to the building owners for donating space and anyone who contributed materials or labor. I would prefer something a little less like a poster, but these are still a great addition to the downtown and show Janesville's pride in its heritage and hope for the future.

are you sure this time. did you just rerun same story. didnt mention tha tis wasnt done last week due to rain or whatever. unless I missed it. Looks cool in pic

This was supposed to be "unveiled" last week or two weeks ago. this was trhe week for gazette one.

Great job Larry! In fact, they all look very nice.