Newtown Agricultural Mural
New Newtown Mural Honors 1935 Cornhusking Contest And Local Agricultural Heritage
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Key Points
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The Newtown mural was created by nationally recognized artist Evan Lovett through Wabash Walls, The Arts Federation’s regional public-art program, and was funded by the Western Indiana Community Foundation, Indiana Arts Commission, Duke Energy and the Fruits Family.
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The 1935 National Cornhusking Contest drew an estimated 110,000 people to Newtown, bringing national attention to the small Fountain County community.
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The iconic 1932 photograph of ironworkers eating on a beam above Manhattan was part of a publicity campaign for Rockefeller Center; related images showed workers pretending to sleep and tossing a football on the beam.
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Niagara Falls was intentionally diverted for several months in 1969 so engineers could study erosion and decide whether loose rocks should be removed from the base of the falls.
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The Mona Lisa was stolen in 1911 by Louvre employee Vincenzo Peruggia, who hid inside the museum and left with the painting concealed beneath his clothing.
A new mural on a grain bin in Newtown, Indiana, celebrates the town's agricultural past and a landmark moment in farming history. The artwork honors the 1935 National Cornhusking Contest, which drew an estimated 110,000 people to the small Fountain County community and made local champion Lawrence "Slim" Pitzer a national figure Den of Geek.
Artist Evan Lovett created the mural through Wabash Walls, a regional public-art initiative run by The Arts Federation. The project received funding from the Western Indiana Community Foundation, the Indiana Arts Commission, Duke Energy, and the Fruits Family Yahoo Style.
When 110,000 People Came to a Cornhusking Contest
The 1935 National Cornhusking Contest put Newtown on the map. An estimated 110,000 spectators packed into the tiny farming town to watch competitors strip kernels from corn cobs Den of Geek. Lawrence "Slim" Pitzer emerged as the local hero, winning the national championship and cementing his place in regional history. The event brought national media attention and put small-town agriculture in the national spotlight during the Great Depression.
Famous Photos Hide Stories Stranger Than Fiction
That iconic 1932 photograph of ironworkers eating lunch while perched on a steel beam above Manhattan? It was staged. Yahoo Style reports the image was part of a publicity campaign for Rockefeller Center. Related photos from the same shoot show workers pretending to sleep and tossing a football on the beam — all for the cameras.
Other famous images conceal equally surprising truths. The Mona Lisa vanished from the Louvre in 1911 when employee Vincenzo Peruggia hid inside the museum and smuggled the painting out beneath his clothing Den of Geek. Engineers temporarily diverted Niagara Falls in 1969 to study erosion and assess whether loose rocks should be removed from the base Yahoo Style.
How Everyday Objects Have Surprising Origins
Common items many assume are ancient actually arrived much more recently than expected. Table forks, for example, became widely accepted in everyday use far later than most people realize Yahoo Style. Similar surprises appear throughout history — familiar images and everyday objects often conceal origins that challenge our assumptions about how long certain practices have existed.
A Mural Connecting Present to Farming Past
The Newtown mural does more than decorate a grain bin. It anchors the town's identity to a pivotal agricultural moment and preserves the memory of "Slim" Pitzer and the 1935 contest for future generations. In an era when farming communities face economic pressure, public art projects like this one celebrate rural heritage and the people who built it Den of Geek.
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