The History of Communications mural can be read as a historical timeline starting from left to right, beginning with the arrival of French voyagers in the 1700’s marking the visit of Father Pierre Marquette and explorer Louis Joliet. Their success marked the first communication for the local natives to the outside world.
Next the mural progresses through Walker’s Trading Post. Walker’s was the first building on the north side of the Illinois River. The rivers were an important means of communication as mail and news came via river boat. The scene continues as we see a mail wagon using the stagecoach road. Roads were vital in connecting the areas many villages.
The mural then chugs along to show the mail trains as well as the telegraph lines that followed them. Behind the train, in blue, is one of the first Ottawa Silica Sands factories, a nod to Ottawa being the “Sand Capital of the World”
We then go on to see more modern forms of communication such as telephones, television, radio all the way to the internet and cell phones.
If you look closely you will see scenes from all the other murals in Ottawa. Have fun finding them!