Community group fundraiser to restore Gold Medal Flour mural

SHELLSBURG — The Shellsburg Area Community Group has started a Go Fund Me fundraising campaign to preserve the community’s historic Gold Medal Flour Mural, located on the north side of the Pearl Street Social Club building.

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In recognizing the historic and cultural importance, the Shellsburg Hometown Pride Committee recently identified the restoration of the iconic Gold Medal Flour Mural as a priority project, according to a news release.

The hand-painted sign was created around 1920 by Thomas Cusack Co. of Chicago, one of the leading outdoor advertising firms in the United States at that time. Old hand-painted advertising murals, often called “ghost signs,” were at one time common in Iowa, but most have now disappeared. The mural is slowly deteriorating and the community group is holding the community fundraiser to raise money for its restoration. The campaign hopes to raise $15,000. It has already raised $2,535 as of Monday afternoon.

“The Gold Medal Flour Mural restoration is a project SACG (Shellsburg Area Community Group) has wanted to tackle for years,” Jill Hidinger, SACG Economic Development Committee chair, said. “When our Economic Development Committee partnered with the Keep Iowa Beautiful Hometown Pride program, it was naturally at the top of our list of priorities.

The Pearl Street owners want to see the mural preserved and will be tuck pointing the wall as the first step in the restoration. SACG has a bid from Wall Dogs, a company with expertise in restoring historic art.

Hidinger said the mural is an “icon” of the downtown area and with other downtown improvements going on at the same time, the committee wanted to help get this project off the ground.

“Being a nonprofit with limited funds, this was the only way we could see this project coming to fruition,” Hidinger added.

As part of the fundraising efforts, the community group also is collaborating with Millstream Brewing Co. of Amana to produce and distribute its own brand of craft beer to fund other community improvements, according to the news release.

“Pacesetter” is a light but flavorful wheat ale that finishes with just a touch of citrusy sweetness. The beer’s colorful label celebrates Shellsburg’s historic spandrel bridge and is a reflection of the town’s theme, “Life at Your Own Pace.” Pacesetter was released June 24, distributed by 7G Distributing and is available at Roy's Hometown Grocery, Wildcat Golf Course, Pearl Street Social Club, Local Edition, Cranky Hank's Pizza Bank and Shellsburg Quick Stop.

“These projects demonstrate the value of community involvement, community pride, and small-town relevancy,” Hidinger said. “It still is possible to revitalize main street into a thriving downtown in which community members can live, love, work and play.”

The Shellsburg Area Community Group was organized in 2011 to promote a positive image of Shellsburg and the surrounding community and to create an exciting place to live, shop and invest.

Since 2011, the group has contributed more than $100,000 and countless volunteer hours toward community improvement projects. The community group is not affiliated with the city of Shellsburg except in its desire to affect improvement where possible.

Comments: (319) 398-8318; trish.mehaffey@thegazette.com