Mural to honor the past

By Barry Porterfield

With inspiration coming mainly from his own grandfather, area resident Cole Gallup has decided to offer Pauls Valley a gift that tells a story with art and remembers the past.

PV city officials have had no problem accepting Gallup’s proposal to sculpt a mural along a rock wall on South Chickasaw Street.

When finished it will depict a scene honoring the evolution of the American West — complete with cowboys, Indians, cavalry soldiers and even a buffalo stampede.

“I want to sculpt a scene running up the rock wall,” Gallup said.

“I wanted something that people driving by could see the changes to the West and even Oklahoma as time has passed,” he said.

“It’s something that as you move it changes and it changes with time.”

Gallup, who considers the endeavor a “non-profit tourist attraction,” got the idea of doing the sculpture a few months ago.

“I was just riding around and decided to do this at that place,” he said, adding he got out of his car and went over to the wall to test it.

He leaned the solid sandstone wall would be perfect for a mural that will stretch an impressive 60 feet long and go 3 1/2 feet high.

He chose a western theme for the mural because he wanted something that focused in on change

In this case it was a change that directly connected to our own state’s history.

The mural will start with a depiction of Indians and buffalo and show a “wilder time in the old West.”

Then comes cowboys in a representation of the “taming of the West.”

After that comes the rodeo and the “nostalgia” of that yesteryear time.

Gallup’s real inspiration is his very own grandfather who epitomized the classic Old West character.

“When I think of the west I think of my grandfather, my ‘Pappy,’” Gallup said.

“To me he was the quintessence of the American west. He was tall, lean and bowlegged with a big old Doc Holliday mustache. He broke broncs, had hands that were tougher than leather and could rope with the best of them,” he said.

“The western culture is constantly evolving, and its participants vary from the once truly free Indians, the Vaqueros, people like Bill Pickett or my role models like John Wayne and my Pappy.

“My predecessors primarily used horses to accomplish their tasks; tomorrow they will use ATV’s. And that is the idea of this monument. I’m attempting to express an ‘Evolution of the West.’”

Gallup, a Navy veteran, an artist and an author in the Garvin County area, describes himself as being from the Paoli, Wayne and Pauls Valley area.

A Master Mason in Valley Lodge #6 in Pauls Valley and a member of the American legion at Post 119 in Stratford, Gallup is also a member of the Pauls Valley Arts Council and founder of the Pauls Valley Poets Society.

PV City Manager James Frizell said he and officials with the Oklahoma Department of Transportation have previously met with Gallup to discuss his proposal since the site is located next to U.S. Highway 77, also known locally as Chickasaw Street.

After recently getting the OK from both groups, Gallup hopes to start the project in late September or possibly October.

Once he does get underway work is expected to come between the hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to avoid higher traffic periods.

Traffic control and barricades will used as Gallup expects to take about 30 days to complete the project.