A new mural on the side of a big water tank now will catch the eyes of Route 66 travelers on the west side of Sapulpa, Oklahoma.
According to the Sapulpa Times (subscription only), the mural shows off the state’s official wildflower, the Indian Blanket. The city recently finished tree-trimming around the site.
Sapulpa city manager Joan Riley guided the project to reality.
For Riley, the idea of painting a flower on the water tower wasn’t the first idea she had. “I considered a Route 66 theme — which would’ve been wonderful as well — but after looking at some other murals around the state and seeing how pretty and vibrant the flowers were, the Indian Blanket came to mind and never left.”
She also says the Indian Blanket has a strong personal meaning for her, sharing how when she and her late husband Mike were living on acreage west of town, he scattered Indian Blanket seeds around the property. “We both loved how they came up and bloomed all summer,” she said.
Funding for the mural came from Keep Sapulpa Beautiful, and a company called Hive Appeal in Enid, Oklahoma, created it.
Here’s a Facebook post by Hive Appeal that shows off the mural nicely:
The city soon will add a space near the east entrance of Ozark Trail — an early alignment of Route 66 — so travelers can pull off the highway and take photos. That area also is close to the historic Rock Creek Bridge.
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