Our Projects

Community renewal efforts in Watseka

New Public Art Project

Hubbard Trail: The Path That Built Watseka

A new wall mural at 203 E. Walnut Street, downtown Watseka

Watseka Community Renewal is bringing a brand-new wall mural to downtown Watseka, celebrating the rich history and enduring spirit of our community. Centered on the theme “Hubbard Trail: The Path That Built Watseka,” this mural will be a vibrant reminder of our shared heritage, and, true to our mission, it’s being built by the community. We’re inviting residents to help bring it to life through voting, volunteering, and donations.

Design Option 2 Is the Winner!

The votes are counted and the community has spoken. Design Option 2, featuring Watchekee, Gurdon Hubbard, and Catherine Clifton, won with 678 of 1,276 votes. Thank you to everyone who cast a ballot! Sign up below for email updates as the mural comes together, and let us know if you’d like to volunteer.

Sign Up for Updates & Volunteering

The Designs You Voted On

Click a design to see it full size. Option 2 is the winning design and the one that will be painted.

Mural Design Option 1: A portrait of Watchekee (Wat-Che-Kee, ‘Evening Star’) in traditional beaded dress, crowned by a shining star, beside a young Gurdon S. Hubbard (‘Swift Walker’) in frontier dress. Between them the Hubbard Trail and paved Route 1 stretch to the horizon under a deep blue sky.
Design Option 1 Click to enlarge Option 1 honors Watchekee, crowned by a shining star that reflects the meaning of her name with intention and dignity. Beside her, Gurdon Hubbard appears as he did at 28, drawn from a real portrait of him from that defining chapter of the region’s history. The Hubbard Trail and the paved Route 1 divide the two like a timeline, bridging Watseka’s earliest days with the town we know today.
Mural Design Option 2: An illustrated scene on the Hubbard Trail showing Watchekee, Gurdon Hubbard leading a packhorse, and Catherine Clifton walking a dirt path through golden prairie. A modern family walks the same trail toward historic downtown Watseka, its courthouse and water tower in the distance, under a banner reading ‘Hubbard Trail: The Path That Built Watseka.’
Design Option 2 (Winner) Click to enlarge Option 2 brings Watseka’s history to life through the people who shaped it. The design features three figures who helped pave the path to the town we know today: Watchekee, Gurdon Hubbard, and Catherine Clifton. Together they represent the roots of our community and the journey that carried Watseka from the trail to the present.
Mural Design Option 3: Gurdon Hubbard in fringed frontier buckskin stands at the front of the mural, reaching out an open hand to invite viewers onto the trail. Behind him a winding creek with a canoe leads past prairie and farm fields to historic downtown Watseka and its courthouse, beneath a banner reading ‘Hubbard Trail: The Path That Built Watseka.’
Design Option 3 Click to enlarge Option 3 places Gurdon Hubbard front and center, reaching out his hand to invite you onto the trail he blazed. This design is built to be interactive: step up, take his hand, and snap a photo. It turns the mural into a memorable stop and a one-of-a-kind experience for anyone visiting Watseka.

Sign Up for WCR Email Updates

Follow the mural’s progress, plus news on upcoming projects, events, and ways to get involved. We’ll only email when there’s something worth sharing.

Thank You for Voting!

The community turned out in a big way, both online and at in-person ballot stations throughout July:

  • Watseka Farmers Market
  • Watseka Public Library
  • Community Meetings, with pop-up voting stations at organizations across town

A total of 1,276 votes were counted, and Design Option 2 came out on top. Sign up for email updates to follow the mural from first panel to finished wall.

Get Involved

Volunteer: Help with the physical development and painting of the mural. No professional artistic experience required, just passion for the community and a willingness to help. (Check the volunteer box in the sign-up form below and we’ll be in touch.)

Donate: Contributions cover high-quality paint, weatherproofing, artist fees, and equipment. Give online, or mail a check to Watseka Community Renewal, 103 W. Cherry St., Watseka, IL 60970.

Donate to the Mural