Harlingen, Texas: Murals

January 5, 2017

Harlingen has preserved, acquired, commissioned and promoted murals in its downtown area. We had a great time finding them and geocaches associated with some of them.

The Story of Bread, 1948. This mural was moved from the Holsum Bakery when it closed in 1996. Its various panels show bread making from field to finished loaf.

Mid-Century Modern Mosaic, 1958. This mural decorated the Harlingen National Bank.

The History of Mexico and Mankind, 1975. This mural was crafted from 905 ceramic tiles and was moved to Harlingen from California. There are nine panels. The one above pays homage to Mexico’s Pre-Hispanic cultures.

Building a Community of Learners, 1997. This mural is designed to call attention to illiteracy and includes the artist’s trademark dinosaurs and the slogan, Read: Avoid Extinction.

The Early Days, 2001. The railroad, Hispanic pioneers and water were crucial to Harlingen’s development, and these are pictured in this mural. The far right shows Harlingen’s tallest structure, the Baxter Hotel, under construction in 1927. [No explanation so far for the odd proportions of this building.] The Baxter Hotel is pictured below. It is scheduled for historically-sensitive renovation as affordable housing.

And here is a close-up from the mural showing Harlingen’s founder, Lon C. Hill, overseeing things from his place in the clouds.

A Tribute to Bill Haley and his Comets, 2003. Haley lived in Harlingen at the end of his career. His “Rock Around the Clock” was the first rock and roll record to reach #1 on the pop charts.

Tropical Playground of Texas, 2004. Golfing, birding and fishing are among the activities that draw visitors to Harlingen.

The Golden Age of Hollywood & Mexican Cinema in Harlingen, 2004. This mural is on the side of one of Harlingen’s first movie theaters and features images of mid-century Harlingen theaters, movie stars and promotional posters.

Welcome to Harlingen’s Downtown, 2005. This mural is designed to greet visitors to the city center.

Historic Route 77, 2005. Route 77 runs from Brownsville, east of Harlingen, to Sioux City, Iowa. This mural commemorates a mid-twentieth century road trip. Appropriately, the property just south of this mural features a beautifully-restored gas station, built in 1936 and used until 1970.

Oaxacan Dragon, 2005. Chris Valez painted this dragon to resemble those made by woodcarvers in the Oaxaca Valley of Mexico. He painted the murals below on adjacent buildings, and is the creator of Welcome to Harlingen’s Downtown.

Tropical Rio Grande Valley, 2007. This long mural features aspects of the border region including a rattlesnake, music, people and other wildlife–all in fingerprint-sized dots.

The wall the mural is on wraps around a wonderful nursery.

On the corner, while Dave found a geocache, Jane found this tree with an interesting trunk.

Dia de los Muertos, 2008. This homage to local Day of Dead ceremonies shows a parade of musicians and farmers through the city cemetery.

From Here to Harlingen, 2008. Recessed windows and doors provide the canvas for this multi-image mural of local wildlife.

The building is one of the oldest in Harlingen and was originally Thompson’s Mortuary.

Vanessa Blue, 2009. This mural was painted by a Harlingen native who now lives in Colorado.

Birds, 2009. This is another mural by Chris Valdez. [Others are Oaxacan Dragon and Welcome to Harlingen.]

Tropical Birds of the Border, 2012. While this mural officially celebrates the beauty and diversity of the region’s birds, it has been placed in a less visible location because the birds aren’t all from the area.

Downtown Harlingen: Where Past Is Present, 2013. Seven historic Harlingen buildings were painted from black-and-white photographs for this mural.

From Farm to Market through Harlingen, 2015. This mural shows the processing of crops from the field to the train, complete with ice to keep the produce viable. Labels are reproductions of those used by companies that once operated in Harlingen.