[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he birth of the interstate highway system in the 1950's and 60's under the guidance of President Eisenhower ushered in a new era in American culture, one that is bittersweet. Connecting large metropolises from coast to coast like never before, the new highway system made travel between cities swift and convenient but marked a before and after in American History. The interstates all but ended passenger train travel, and without motorists passing through the whistle-stop towns along highways like the famous Route 66, small towns began to wither and die all across the nation.
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Nonetheless, many hearty Americans stuck it out in the places they were born and continued to raise families. More and more towns are currently experiencing a revival of sorts, in an effort to keep them from dying altogether. One way they do that is to beautify their buildings with vibrant murals. The murals are both full of hometown pride and reminiscent of when life bustled there. Around the time that the interstates were born, advertising still took the form of murals painted on walls. Coca-cola, Bull Durham Smoking Tobacco, and the RCA Victor Dog have now begun to fade from the bricks they adorned, but these 15 beautiful murals in small Texas towns harken back to a time when they were still bright and commonplace.
