Saloon - Elma, Washington
N 47° 00.244 W 123° 24.255
10T E 469269 N 5205695
This is one of the many murals that have been painted in the small town of Elma, Washington.
Waymark Code: WMH46N
Location: Washington, United States
Date Posted: 05/19/2013
Views: 3
The mural "Saloon" at 326 W Main St has seen numerous similar types of businesses in the store below the mural. You will need to stand back just a bit and look up high to view this mural, as it is above the door and signage of the business.
In the early history of Elma, the town was nearly divided down main street by the types of business, with saloons on one side of main street, and "proper" businesses on the other, such as mercantiles, doctors, assay office. In some old-time photos of Elma's Main Street, it is interesting to see only males standing on the boardwalks on one side of Main while only women can be seen on the boardwalks in front of the businesses on the other side of Main.
Some of the prior businesses at this location were Murphy's Tavern, Fred's Den, and currently Shu Jack's Bar & Grill (boasing "the friendliest bar in town")
This mural was painted in nearly monotone color, by Diana Larson. She painted the scene to show how the young men of the nearby logging industries would spend their leisure time while in Elma.
About Elma:
Elma was named for Elma Austin, whose family settled in the area prior to 1860. The town of Elma was a trading center for the homesteaders who arrived and settled in the Chehalis River Valley, on land donated by pioneer families of Joseph Young and James Long Waldrip. These families had arrived by wagon train in May of 1860. (Waldrip was married to Young's daughter). The city was incorportated in 1888, and by the 2000 census, there were 3,049 residents.
The visitor information for Elma boasts 22 historic murals, all of which were painted in the 1990’s.
Elma Murals: The information about this mural was provided from the "Elma Washington Visitor Guide" written by Luke Bailey of the store Chocolates Made Easy. He has included a photo in the link below of Main street where the men are on one side of the street while the females are shopping on the other side.
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visit link)