The city’s newest mural on the alley side of Crosina Realty was part of the Art Walk and Sale 2015 wrap up ceremonies Saturday.
Fittingly, the mural is dedicated to the Crosina family history, one of the founding families of Williams Lake.
The artists and Mayor Walt Cobb, along with representatives from the Crosina family, were there to participate in the unveiling, along with representatives of the BIA, which sponsored the mural project.
“I think the mural program is an excellent one. I am particularly pleased that the murals are showing some of our history,” Mayor Cobb said.
Louis Crosina left Italy in 1882 and settled in the Cariboo, marrying local school teacher Clara Noble in 1897. Together they established the 153 Mile Ranch, general store, stopping house and blacksmith shop which the family continued to operate for many years.
After it was closed and sold the old 153 Mile House store has continued to be a point of historical interest, kept in historical condition by new owners Joe and Peggy Patenaude who bought the ranch in 1958. Peggy restored and opened the old store as a museum in the 1970s.
The store and its contents have been left in trust to the city and the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin.
Mayor Cobb said the city and museum are now in the early stages of working out a plan and fundraising to have the store and its contents moved to a location near the Museum of the Cariboo Chilcotin on Fourth Avenue in downtown Williams Lake.
He said Peggy Patenaude catalogued all of the contents of the store and that record is now with the museum archives in Victoria.