7
CULTURE & HERITAGE
CELEBRATING THE HISTORY
OF EASTERN OREGON
AUGUST 25�SEPTEMBER 1, 2021
IF YOU GO
History illustrated
in Canyon City
Murals in Canyon City depict
scenes from the town’s his-
tory. Visit them facing the
town’s Sproul Park. Canyon
City is in Grant County,
about 2 miles south of John
Day on Highway 395.
in November 1996, was based on
a photo of an 1886 Canyon City
parade Kangas saw in a Portland
museum.
Below the parade mural are
panels painted by the “Aspiring
Artists,” a local 4-H group.
So the next time you’re in the
Canyon City area, take some time
to appreciate these magnifi cent
murals and enjoy a history lesson
in the bargain.
Cheryl Hoefl er/Go! Magazine
A mural depicting Canyon City’s history was painted by Larry Kangas of Beaverton in 1996 on the Patterson building on Park Street. The panorama is 18 feet
tall and 88 feet wide.
By Cheryl Hoefl er
GO! Magazine
C
ANYON CITY — We mostly
think of walls only for their
functional purposes — holding up
buildings and separating rooms.
In Canyon City, several walls
also provide illustrated history
lessons.
Two murals, both facing Sproul
Park, feature facets of this com-
munity’s history and rich heritage.
Larry Kangas of Beaverton is
the muralist behind both works,
which were painted in 1996. He
was assisted by Jim and Marilyn
DeRoy of Mt. Vernon.
The larger one on Park Street
is a panorama of Canyon City
around 1862, the year gold was
discovered on nearby Whiskey
Gulch. Scenes of townspeople,
horse-drawn wagons and, of
course, gold panners are set
against a view of the canyon,
drawing viewers back to those
thriving days when Canyon City
was a growing community. Hard
to believe, but it’s claimed that
10,000 people lived in Canyon
City at the peak of the gold
rush — more than in Portland at
that time.
The mural, which fi lls the entire
length of the historic Patterson
building, was feted at an event on
July 14, 1996. The painting mea-
sures 18 feet tall by 88 feet wide.
A smaller mural on the Guern-
sey building, on the opposite side
of the park, features a Fourth of
July parade, circa 1890s, march-
ing down Washington Street,
which runs along the right side of
the building. Visitors can nearly
imagine the boisterous sights and
sounds on that very street on that
Independence Day.
The mural, which was fi nished
Cheryl Hoefl er/Go! Magazine
Visit Heritage Station Museum
for a trip back in time
We thank these Chamber Members
for their continued support
See how wheat helped shape Umatilla County
Step inside a Union Pacific caboose, the Byrd School
and spend time on the Pioneer Homestead
EO Managed
Services
DRAIN
www.VisitUnionCounty.org BLASTERS
Open Tues-Sat
10am-4pm
IN PENDLETON
www.HeritageStationMuseum.org