The Lost Mural of the Great Northern Ice House

John Thamm

Hillyard’s First Mural, Lost to Fire in 1994

Location: Former Great Northern Ice House – Market St & Columbia Ave (now demolished)
Painted: 1978 (Lost in the Ice House Fire of 1994)
Artist: John Thamm
Supported by: Spokane Arts Commission, local students, (former) Hillyard Steering Committee

In 1978, Hillyard debuted its very first public mural—an 80-by-24-foot depiction of the neighborhood's historic railway roots. Painted high on the former Great Northern Ice House near Market and Columbia, the mural showed James J. Hill (the namesake of Hillyard) checking his pocketwatch as the first train arrived, flanked by celebratory onlookers and railroad workers.

Commissioned by the Spokane Arts Commission and painted by artist John Thamm with support from local student volunteers, the mural represented a milestone in Hillyard’s identity. It stood as a colorful tribute to the area’s founding industry and community spirit.

Sadly, the mural was lost in 1994 when the icehouse was destroyed in a fire. At the time, the warehouse was vacant and had long since ceased rail operations, but the mural remained a visible landmark until its destruction.

Sources

• "Mural belatedly celebrates railroad’s arrival in Hillyard", The Spokesman-Review, August 20, 1978

• "Fire Destroys Old Railroad Icehouse", The Spokesman-Review, December 22, 1994