Mullan Trail students get new mural, lesson in local lore
From left: Third-grade student Jared Jessop, listens attentively while Cambria Miller, fifth grade, talks about the sawmill and the dam, and "how it works and stuff." The mural depicting key moments in Post Falls history, completed by local artist, Christina Hull, in January, graces the entryway of Mullan Trail Elementary School.
ELLI GOLDMAN HILBERT/Press
From left: Mullan Trail Elementary School students Cambria Miller, 11, Jared Jessop, 8, and Charlie Way, 7, stand in front of the history mural adorning the entryway of Mullan Trail Elementary School.
Mullan Trail Elementary School students (from left,) Cambria Miller, 11, and Jared Jessop, 8, examine the hand-painted mural in the school's entryway, by local artist Christina Hull. The mural depicts key moments in the history of Post Falls.
Artist Christina Hull, was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. Using her skill depicting nature scenes, Hull recently completed work on a large, multi-wall mural in the entry-way of Mullan Trail Elementary School, depicting key moments in the history of Post Falls.
POST FALLS — These walls tell a story, and it's one that hits close to home for Mullan Trail Elementary School students.
The hand-painted mural by local artist Christina Hull depicts the history of Post Falls and has sparked excitement among students.
“The history of Post Falls is really cool,” eight-year-old Jared Jessop, a third-grader, said. “And these moose are off the chart.”
The mural covers several walls, and depicts key historical moments: Frederick Post’s initial journey to Idaho from his native Germany, the verbal agreement made at Treaty Rock between Post and Chief Seltice of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, Mullan Trail and the iconic sawmill built above the Post Falls Dam.
Cheerful moose, pine trees and forest scenery finish the composition.
“This is Germany. That’s where they traveled from,” Jessop said, enthusiastically.
Students learn about Idaho history when they reach the fourth grade, Principal Brad Harmon said Monday. Now the mural is finished, its visual representation of local lore enhances students' understanding of the area's past.
“We wanted to do something that spruced up the entryway and also introduced some history,” Harmon said. “We’re called Mullan Trail, but people don’t know what Mullan Trail is or where Post Falls comes from and where we got our name.”
The project was completed over the vacation break, surprising most of the staff and students upon their return to school.
“I didn’t recognize the place on Jan. 3,” Jessop said. “I just saw all these paintings when I was waiting for the playground to open. It was really cool. Really good painting.”
The staff are so pleased with the results, they are looking at extending the mural, adding more depictions of the city's history, Beach said.
The leadership team at Mullan Trail decided on the mural project and raised money through several fundraisers. Special-education teacher and leadership team member Courtney Beach recommended Hull for the project.
“She does a lot with kids at the Kroc Center,” Beach said. “I just knew she’d be perfect.”
Hull teaches youth and adult art at the Kroc Center and offers in-home private lessons. Beach and Hull worked together in the corporate office of Pita Pit years ago and have been acquainted since 2006.
Hull was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest. A professional artist for the past 15 years, most of Hull’s artwork is nature inspired.
“The mural I did for the school is more fun, more whimsical than most of my work,” Hull said.
Hull said she needed her own history lesson when preparing for the project.
Visiting Treaty Rock, she studied the native carvings on the rock and the way Post’s name was written to ensure historical accuracy. The image of the sawmill used for the mural was garnered from an archival photo found at the Post Falls Museum, Hull said.
“It was fun for me personally with a long line of logging people in my family,” Hull said. “So it ties in with my own personal history.”
The mural took 61 hours to complete, Hull said. It was completed in less than seven days; the goal was to finish the project while students and staff were away for winter break.
Hull’s artwork can be seen at Christinahullart.com or on display at Bakery by the Lake, Bakery by the Lake Eastside, Embers by the Lake and Embers by the Green. Other public murals by Hull are located at the Coeur d'Alene Carousel building and Borah Elementary School.
“I was so excited to do this for the kids,” Hull said. “It’s so important to me to introduce the kids to some kind of art, to lift their spirits when they come in for the morning or leave for the day.”
