Mississippi River Tales Mural facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mississippi River Tales Mural |
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| Artist | Thomas Melvin  |
| Year | 2005 |
| Location | Cape Girardeau, Missouri, US |
| Coordinates | 37°18′21″N 89°31′03″W / 37.30582°N 89.51748°WCoordinates: 37°18′21″N 89°31′03″W / 37.30582°N 89.51748°W |
The Mississippi River Tales is a giant painting, called a mural, that you can see in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. It's painted on a tall floodwall in the downtown area. This amazing artwork covers a huge space, almost 18,000 square feet! It's about 15 feet high.
Contents
The Story on the Wall
This incredible mural tells the history of the Cape Girardeau area. It starts with the Native Americans who lived there a very long time ago, between the years 900 and 1200. Each part of the mural, called a panel, shows a different important event.
What the Panels Show
The mural has 24 panels, and each one tells a unique story from the past. For example, you can see:
- Louis Lorimier planning the city in 1793.
- The time when the United States bought the land of Upper Louisiana from France in 1804. This was a huge deal!
- When Missouri officially became a state in 1821.
- The arrival of the first railroad in 1880, which changed how people traveled and traded.
- The "Big Freeze" of 1918-1919, a very cold winter.
- The building of the Bill Emerson Memorial Bridge, an important bridge in the area.
The Artists Behind the Mural
The mural was painted by a talented Chicago artist named Thomas Melvin. He worked together with several local artists from the Cape Girardeau area. The style of the paintings is similar to that of another famous painter, Thomas Hart Benton. The mural was officially opened to the public on July 7, 2005, with a special ceremony.
Panels of the Mural
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Planning a City
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Lewis and Clark
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The Louisiana Purchase
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Missouri Statehood
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The Trail of Tears
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The Civil War
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The Civil War
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St. Vincent's Young Ladies' Academy
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River Commerce
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President Taft's Visit
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The Great Fire
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The Big Freeze
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The Three "Cape Girardeaus"
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Riverboat Jazz
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The Big Flood
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River Industry
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The Great Wall
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River Fest
