The Delavan Walldogs event is finished and the Delavan Lions-sponsored mural now hangs proudly on the side of the city’s post office.
The mural tells the history of the “Great Circus Stamp Controversy” and about the city’s longtime postmaster and historian W. Gordon Yadon.
Depicted proudly on the lower right side of the mural is the head of a lion, a tribute to both the city’s long circus history and the Delavan Lions Club’s sponsorship of the mural.
The mural is one of 18 that were created and displayed throughout the city in late June 2015. Each represents a significant part of Delavan’s long and proud history, from a temperance colony, to the days of being the winter home for some of the country’s largest circus acts, to the manufacturing companies that supplied the WWII effort, and many others.
The Walldogs murals will likely be an economic driver for the city as tourists from throughout the midwest are expected to come in and see the many colorful paintings.
For more mural photos, click here.
For more about the Walldogs, click here.
Text from the Great Circus Stamp Controversy mural:
Immediately after Delavan was awarded the honor of issuing the American Circus Commemorative Stamp, thanks to Postmaster W. Gordon Yadon, several other towns argued that they were more worthy. Delavan became involved in a heated national debate with Somers, Ny, who eventually won the honor of unveiling the stamp before it was issued from Delavan on May 2, 1966, with a large celebration. Unbeknownst to the U.S. Postal Service, the image chosen for this stamp was that of world famous clown Lou Jacobs. This made Lou the first living person to have his image on a U.S. stamp.
Delavan Lions Club 