American Legion celebrates its history with 2 new murals

The Streator American Legion’s front facade has two new murals painted by local artist Gene Davis.

Facing north are paintings of Leslie G. Woods, the World War I medic whom the Streator American Legion is named after; the other is of military men from different American time periods sharing a conversation.

Woods was a Streator soldier who was among the first four American casualties in World War I.

The men in the other painting are modeled after locals who served.

Bar Manager Jenny Anderson said the fraternal organization has already had people come in with guesses as to who is portrayed in the second painting, but she doesn’t want to give it away.

Anderson said this is the beginning of renovations the American Legion has planned since it was awarded a $15,000 facade grant from the city earlier this year.

“We’d been trying to get started on the facade earlier but with quarantine and everything, it got pushed back a bit,” Anderson said.