I love to explore a city, big or small, by foot. And there is no better way to experience Silverton than by taking the Silverton Mural Society’s Self-Guided Walking Tour. You can pick up a guide from the Silverton Chamber of Commerce, or get it online here: . It can be as simple as keeping your eyes peeled while walking through town. It is a collection of public art that spans a century’s worth of notable Silverton citizens. Those that gained national renown: Homer Davenport(political cartoonist) and Don Pettit(astronaut), to local heros and characters. My personal favorite has always been Bobbie the Wonder Dog, whose cross-country journey by paw to reunite with his owners is the stuff of animal legend(and a Hollywood movie back in the 30s). I enjoy the glimpses of small town life and days gone by depicted in the Gallon House Bridge and The Oregon Trail murals. And there is something mesmerizing about the Keith Kaser mural(those blue eyes) and spooky and a bit unsettling about the Homer Davenport mural. Several are in a distinct Norman Rockwell style, like the Four Freedoms, with others taking a more modern approach. I also enjoyed learning about the subject of the murals. The horses running across the Homer Davenport mural are a nod to his love of horses. So much so, that he was the first to import Arabian horses to the U.S. All of the murals I viewed were in excellent condition. Created over the year, two were added as recently as the past year(Harvey Mikkelson Steam-Up Festival and the Veterans Poem). What a wonderful way to highlight this community and its fascinating two and four-legged citizens.
