Mary Potter
Tuesday, July 23, 2019 3:51 pm

Two women not generally known to be community activists have worked for over a year to bring a dream of a large mural from imagination to completion. Their work was revealed last Friday on one of the hottest days of the year.

Despite the close humid air, the first glimpse brought a gasp from those gathered on the corner where South Washington Street Clinton becomes North Washington Street under the one and only stoplight in Clinton Kentucky.

Alisha Gourley and her mother, Elizabeth Samuel, raised the funds to hire Paducah muralist, Rudy Holmes, to create the colorful four panel artwork. Depicting faith, family and freedom meant using old photographs and researching life in Hickman County Kentucky.

From the first panel depicting a full service station in the 1950s (shown at left) to the last panel of the popular gazebo at Columbus Belmont Park, the artist captured essential parts of rural life. One panel shows students going into school. Only two schools remain in this second to smallest county by population in Kentucky. One elementary and one middle - high school, created from the many that gradually consolidated out of existence.

A family enters an iconic red church house illustrating how churches provide community to residents. Farming is such a huge part of the area that few people living in Hickman County have no connection to agriculture.

The mural hangs on a wall belonging to Clinton Bank which abuts the Hickman County Historical Society.

The mural is proof that a dream can become reality - with a lot of hard work and support.