Past Murals

The preliminary drawing of the new mural was debuted in the Virden Community Center at the Virden Country Christmas on December 2nd, 2017.

It was well received by all those that stopped to see the preliminary sketch and learn about the concept of the design.

Once the design has been finalized, you will find a photo here.

Details to be included on the mural from left to right:

John Virden and the Virden Hotel: At the time the railroad came through the area between Springfield and Carlinville in 1852, John and Emily Virden were running a popular stagecoach stand south of town. John Virden moved his enterprise next to the new Alton and Sangamon depot and the town was named for him.
Different types of trains: The first type of train shown is an early early steam engine. Next is an interurban engine. The Interurban, or ITS, was an electric rail train that serviced the small towns from Springfield to St. Louis until the 1960s.
Stevenson for President: Then Illinois Governor, Adlai Stevenson, delivered the main address at the Virden Centennial celebration in the city park. A month later, he was the Democratic candidate for President. Stevenson lost to Dwight Eisenhower.
Charles Lindbergh: Either foggy weather or low fuel was responsible for Charles Lindberg, then an airplane pilot for the United States Postal Service, landing his plane in a field near the north edge of Virden, where he spent the night. The next day several local children got the thrill of an airplane ride with the man who would soon be the first pilot to cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Melvin Vaniman: Born in 1867 and raised in Virden, Vaniman became a professional photographer, famous for his panoramic pictures of Sydney Harbor, Australia. He then became a dirigible pilot and lost his life attempting to cross the Atlantic.
Route 66: Virden was on the original Route 66 from 1926-1930. The riad was two-lane poured concrete or brick, making it a “Hard Road” from Chicago to Los Angeles.
Coal Mines: Coal mines were extremely important to the development of the City of Virden. Miners from all over the world came here to work and the Virden Mine Battle of 1898 became pivotal to unions around the country.
Mesker Buildings: The Mesker Brothers Iron Works was a company from St. Louis that designed cast iron store fronts from the 1880s thru the mid 1900s. Virden has an unusual number of the storefronts.

Icons depicting some notable Virden residents:

Bill Dodd (sports trophy) graduated from Virden Community High School in 1960. He was an exceptional all around athlete for the Bulldogs, leading the state in scoring in football during his senior year. At the University of Michigan he was a running back, linebacker and kicked field goals for the Wolverines.
Charlie Birger (pool hall token), the notorious Souther Illinois gangster, lived in Virden in 1910, where he was a local coal miner and ran a pool hall. During Prohibition, his clashes with the Shelton gang were legendary. Birger was hanged in 1928 in Benton, Illinois, the last public hanging in Illinois.
Art Ehrat (basketball rim). The revolutionary breakaway basketball rim was invented by Virdenite Art Ehrat in 1976. It ended long game interrutions caused by shattered glass backboards when others rims were pulled down, backboard and all.
Paul Neighbors (drum) was a Big Band Orchestra leader, born and raised in Virden. He sang and played drums in his nationally known band.
Sarah (Nubia) Hall, known as the the town’s baby-sitter, was respected by all. Born a slave before the Civil War, she lived until World War II.
Luella Wilcox (mortar board) graduated from Virden High School in 1883. Ten years later she was President of Columbia College in Missouri. Her colleagues called her “a steam engine in petticoats”.

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