Post Office Mural – Quanah TX - WPA Projects on Waymarking.com

"“The Naming of Quanah” (1938) by Jerry Bywaters painted for the Quanah, Texas post office prominently depicts Chief Quanah Parker at the center of the composition. The town of Quanah was named in honor of the famous Comanche chief. Wearing a full-feather headdress, he stands stoically with his right hand raised in a stereotypical greeting and a peace pipe cradled in his left arm. The imagery of the peace pipe stands in stark contrast to the man he greets, who is wielding a rifle and wears a holstered pistol around his waist. The obstructed view of the tipi behind the two men, as opposed to the clear depiction of various historical changes in the region, symbolizes the cultural shifts that took place during Chief Parker’s life time. Other than Chief Parker’s traditional clothing and peace pipe, the tipi is the only other representation of Indigenous cultural depicted in the mural.

On the left-hand side of the composition, Bywaters depicted two scenes, the coming of the railroad and the use of the land for cattle ranching by settlers. The arrival of both most likely led to significant changes for the Comanche people. The right-hand side of the composition depicts further changes that came to the region along with white settlers, including agriculture, animal husbandry, and industry. Beginning in the lower right-hand corner, the raising of livestock and corn are pictured with the hand-picking of cotton and the harvesting of crops just above them. At the top of the painting, Bywaters depicted a large factory in the distance, an indication of the industrialization that took place in the region. These major changes that surround the Comanche Chief end up marginalizing the Comanche culture and way of life just as much as the obstructed view of the tipi and lack of images representing the Comanche Indians that populated the region. Although the mural is a respectful depiction of Chief Quanah Parker, the various scenes that surround him idealize the major changes that took place while diminishing the importance of Comanche Indian traditions and culture in the region of Quanah, Texas."