The Heart of the City Outdoor Art Campaign included four murals, each representing a decade during Janesville's early years and focusing on the important industries of that time. Painted by Ronald Perry Wick of Cherry Valley, IL in 2010, this vinyl printed mural commemorates the contributions women in Rock County. It covers the years 1860 to 1890, when women began having a significant impact on the social and economic life of the Janesville community. At the center is an early suffragist and her young daughter. At the top is Rhoda Lavinia Goodell, the first woman Lawyer in Wisconsin, admitted to the Rock County bar in 1874. Next is Angie King, Wisconsin’s third female attorney and perhaps the first woman in Wisconsin to win a political office by popular election. Above a depiction of Oaklawn Hospital is Nellie Tallman, whose work with the Janesville Associated Charities led to the founding of Janesville’s first successful hospital. The Janesville Cotton Manufacturing Company is shown at the left with two female mill workers. In the 1870s, two-thirds of the labor force at the Cotton Mills was female. The books represent the first free public library in Janesville established by the Ladies Afternoon Club.
Click here to open a Google map with all of the Public Art locations, including Murals, Memorials & Monuments, Sculptures & Statues, and Historical Markers. You can also click here for our Public Art Trail brochure.
- Downtown
- Mural
- Historical Place
Address: 51 S Main St - Janesville - WI, 53545