Rhinelander residents received the formal invitation by mail: “Come and celebrate with us at the Centennial Mural Open House!”

The formal unveiling of the mural took place from 4 to 8 p.m. in the Rhinelander City Hall chambers on the 100-year-old building’s third floor, and as Mayor Dick Johns noted (see video), attendance was beyond all expectations. “They keep coming in waves,” he said. “We had to run out and get a few more things to satisfy the appetite [for the hors d'oeuvres].” Helping to set the mood were members of the Chameleon Jazz Band playing tunes like "Georgia on My Mind" and "Ain't Misbehavin'". (see video)

The mural was a group effort, guided by expert hands. Peggy Grinvalsky, a professional muralist who has a number of historic murals from around the state to her credit, organized citizen groups in the spring of 2008, and choreographed their memories, images, photographs and feelings about all that Rhinelander has come to mean since its beginnings in 1882.

Many people donated photographs and stories about their forefathers. The image of Rosemary Shalbreck's father, Steve Shalbreck, for instance, was selected from a 1920s photo depicting him as he looked while working as the foreman in the service department of the Ford Motor garage. "Later on he had his own business," Shalbreck said, "over in the area where the Eye Clinic is on Ocala Street: Rhinelander Body and Fenderworks. He also managed the airport from the early 1940s to 1959."

Once sketches were made, scenes were artistically assembled by Grinvalsky and outlined on removable MDO panels. Citizen groups again had the opportunity to participate, in the supervised painting of the scenes. A perfectionist, Grinvalsky kept making adjustments and revisions and tweakings, until she was satisfied, or at least enough to let the public enjoy it.

A wood trim was created to match the wood in the chambers and carefully bent around the panels for a finished look.

The cost to the city taxpayers was zero. Many individuals and businesses donated to the project, and the hundreds of volunteer hours donated by citizens made this project truly a labor of love.

Dozens of citizens participated in the project, and their names are memorialized on a plaque near the mural. Mayor Johns invites everyone to come view the mural anytime during city hall hours and sign the guest book.