Thursday, September 20, 2007

In the Beginning...

These people over at the Courthouse Square are not looking at their feet. No, they are taking a quick tour of local history via one of our timelines carved into and painted on the walkway on the Gurley Street side.

Notable events, beginning in 1501, are cut into the cement, painted -- and periodically updated. A new paint job is also a regular event.

An even more ambitious timeline adorns the sidewalk up the incline along Goodwin Street over at the library. I didn't catch the absolute beginning date, but it starts back in earliest Egypt or maybe Ur and moves on up to present days.

As you can see, the Far East as well as Europe and the Middle East are represented. I know, I know, it isn't fashionable to link history to dates these days; on the other hand, dates do create a timeline...a framework, as it were, to give order to cultural, scientific and political developments. Our local timelines are a cool way to brief folks on where we've been and where we come from! I say hurrah for the people who created and maintain them.

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm impressed! Has this been around for some time (please excuse)or is it a newish endeavour??

Hermano

Anonymous said...

If I recall correctly, these timelines are the work of Mr. Fran Wildman. He developed another one of (I think...) U.S. history on the main walk of Granite Mountain Junior High/Middle School. They're all from the 1970's.

Granny J said...

Bro -- your Q answered below...

Melanie -- thanks much for the info; I had wondered about the original source -- and also where timeline #3 was located. I've never seen that one.

Too bad that the mural of the solar system that was on one of those four-flats on S. Gurley is gone! I wonder if there is a picture of it somewhere...

Jan said...

Amazing..I have never seen these before!

Thanks for sharing all of this wonderful stuff with your readers!

Granny J said...

Jan -- I have a lot of fun locating things around town & photographing them!

smilnsigh said...

WOW! That was a fantastic undertaking. Much congratulations to those who did this.

Mari-Nanci

Granny J said...

SnS -- the city is quite proud of their timelines.

meggie said...

Like all of your posts, I found this fascinating. Thankyou for your postings, Granny!

Granny J said...

Meggie -- it's interesting what one sees when taking a fresh look at what's become ordinary!

Avus said...

What a great idea - never seen the like before. That's what I enjoy about your blog - being led around the really local US of A.

Granny J said...

avus -- my neighbor, who is a prof of anthropology, emphasizes a sense of place in her courses. I'm convinced that every place has its own personality, just as Prescott does.

 
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