Railbed Rehabilitation Project:
This project is one small part of the overall railbed rehabilitation project. The project limits include the old UPRR railbed alignment from US 77 to the north side of Center Street (US 36). The project is too detailed to address in this information, but more information is available at the Marysville City offices at 209 N. Eighth. Concept drawings of the half-block plaza where the murals will be located, as well as the remainder of the project, are on display in the lobby of the City offices. The City Administrator, or Main Street Director, will answer any questions you might have about the project.
Be a Visionary in Marysville's Future!
An opportunity exists for you to be a part of the exciting future that awaits downtown Marysville in particular and the entire City and region as a whole. Inside this brochure you will find out how to be a part of this spectacular opportunity that awaits you and your children and grandchildren for many years to come.
A very unique style of art is available to the citizens of Marysville who choose to be a part of this once in a lifetime opportunity. Whether you are an alumni, visitor or business owner, you can be a part of and put your legacy into a piece of history that will stand in the future.
Pony Express Rider Statue
In 1984, Marysville attorney Bob Galloway, commissioned Richard Bergen, a Salina, Kansas artist, to design this sculpture for the City of Marysville. The sculpture, more than ten feet tall, fifteen feet long, and weighing over 3600 pounds, took thirteen months to complete. It was made to the likeness of Jack Keetley, a local rider in 1860-1861, and his mount. It was constructed by Bergen, and the $70,000 cost was paid with funds from the R.L. and Elsa Helvering Trust, of which Mrs. Galloway was trustee.
See horse and rider now in downtown Marysville at the NEW Pony Statue Plaza, the largest sculpture of its kind in the Midwest. Pony Express rider, Jack Keetley, represented in this sculpture, was the first rider to gallop west from Marysville the night of April 3, 1860, on the initial run to Sacramento.
The Pony Express was a fast mail service crossing the North American continent from the Missouri River to the Pacific coast, operating from April, 1860, to November, 1861. Messages were carried on horseback relay across the prairies, plains, deserts, and mountains of the Western United States. It briefly reduced the time for mail to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to around ten days.
By traveling a slightly shorter route and using mounted riders rather than stagecoaches, the founders of the Pony Express hoped to establish their service as a faster and more reliable conduit for the mail and win away the exclusive government mail contract.
The Pony Express demonstrated that a unified transcontinental system could be built and operated continuously the year around — something that had previously been regarded as impossible. Since its replacement by the First Transcontinental Telegraph and Railroad, the Pony Express has entered the romance of the American West. Its reliance on the ability and endurance of the individual riders and horses over technological innovation is part of "American rugged individualism".
In 2006, the U.S. Postal Service trademarked the name "Pony Express."
The statue in Marysville, Kansas, is located in downtown Marysville at 7th & Center.
Lifetiles Mural
A primary feature of the NEW Pony Express Plaza will be an art feature called Lifetiles Mural.
Lifetiles Mural is being produced by Boston, MA artist Rufus Seder. The 270 tiles consist of three separate panels, each panel composed of 90 individual glass tiles that together measure four feet high and ten feet long. An image is imbedded in each glass tile and when the tiles are viewed from a stationary position they appear as a fixed image. However, when the viewer moves from one side to another, the embedded image appears to depict motion as the viewer moves.
The Marysville Main Street program has partnered with the City of Marysville to sponsor this effort. The total budget for this project is $90,000, of which $7,400 has been raised as of April 1, 2007.
Marysville Main Street and the City of Marysville would like to offer you an opportunity to participate in this unique opportunity to bring a rare artform to the City of Marysville and the State of Kansas. The nearest mural to this area is in Fort Worth, Texas in the Cowgirl Hall of Fame.
Mr. Seder maintains a website that provides a history on how he developed the glass tiles and also provides short video clips of other installations around the nation and the world.
You can view the information on his website at www.eyethinkinc.com. Use the link at the bottom of the page to direct you to the Lifetiles Installations.
Pony Express Rider:
The concept mural pictured above is one of three designs that are proposed for placement on the plaza area where the caboose now resides. The mural is designed to show what the prairie may have looked like as the Pony Express Rider galloped across the prairie on his way to the Hollenberg Station after leaving Marysville.
Train Mural:
The concept mural pictured below is the second of three designs that are proposed for the plaza. This sketch shows an old steam locomotive that will transition into a new, modern locomotive. This concept will be adjusted up until final changes are made and most likely will depict coal cars instead of freight cars to truly represent the bulk of cargo that passes through Marysville on a daily basis.
Ferry Crossing:
The third mural panel, which has not yet been depicted, will incorporate the ferry landing along with other symbols of Marysville History. This will be the final panel to be depicted.
Production and Installation Costs:
The cost of each mural panel is $22,500. Assembly, transport and installation costs for the artist to personally supervise the installation of the panels is another $14,420. Another $8,080 is anticipated to provide expenses and construction of the flat concrete panels on which the murals will be mounted.
To date, $7,400 has been donated to this project. No gift is too small to be accepted. Each contributor, regardless of amount contributed will be recognized by a plaque that will be placed near the murals. The budget for this project remains firm until December 31, 2007. The production time will take 36 weeks from the date of the first payment.
Please consider this opportunity to be a part of the future of downtown Marysville and contribute to this public art project that many generations of residents and visitors to Marysville will enjoy for years to come.
Tax Deductible Contributions:
All contributions to this project are tax deductible and may be made to either Marysville Main Street or the City of Marysville.
Marysville Main Street Contributions Can Be Mailed to:
P.O. Box 523, 604 Broadway, Marysville, KS 66508
City of Marysville Contributions Can Be Mailed to:
209 N. Eighth, Marysville, KS 66508. Mark envelopes as: "Lifetiles Mural Donation".
For More Information - Contact Us:
City Administrator
209 N. 8th
Marysville, KS 66508
Phone: 785-562-5331
Fax: 785-562-2449
Email: cityadm@bluevalley.net
