STEPHANI TOBIN
The Geronimo murals have a more than 100 year history in Chickasha. They originally hung in the dining room of the Geronimo Hotel in Chickasha, between the wainscot and the ceiling, giving diners a view of the colorful and historic murals.
The murals are large and rectangular, with a vivid use of blues and greens for the backdrop. They portray Geronimo and his people when they were alive and roaming the plains.
The Geronimo Hotel was built for travelers; specifically, it was built by John J. Grier Rock Island Lines Eating House System on the Rock Island Railroad so passengers would have a place to stay and eat as they passed through this region of the country.
Dining cars were not available yet for railroad passengers, and it was necessary for travelers to have a place to take the time to obtain food.
This gave the murals a great deal of exposure. However, when the Geronimo Hotel closed in 1937 because of the Great Depression, the murals were placed in the Chickasha Hotel ballroom for a few years.
Once the murals were removed from the Chickasha Hotel, they began their journey from hand to hand, barn to barn, until they were found by local businessman Irwin Munn.
The murals had spent considerable time in a Boy Scout camp barn, and by the time Munn found them, they were covered in dust, debris and vermin. Not all of the murals were salvageable.
Pat Cunningham, director and curator of the Grady County Historical Museum, believes the murals were painted by F.C. Payraud, a Chicago artist. She said repairing the murals could cost up to $60,000.
Cunningham said they would love to send the murals to “anyone close [to Chickasha] with skills” to restore the paintings.
“Geronimo was an infamous person in the area,” she said. “[The murals are] a tie to our Native American heritage, which is sort of important to this area.”
Cunningham also noted the murals are not entirely accurate to the history of Geronimo and his people. She said the murals were most likely intended to depict the artist’s interpretation of Geronimo and the scenery around the Chickasha area at that time.
